How safe is the food you're eating?

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This year, one in four of us will get sick from tainted produce, meat, or eggs. Stay healthy with these simple steps.

Richard Laliberte

Spinach, bagged lettuce, peanut butter, even healthy "veggie" puffs: Every few weeks, it seems, we hear about another previously thoughtto- be-safe grocery-store staple being yanked from shelves because of a food-related illness. This year about 76 million Americans will get sick from something they ate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The culprit: disease- causing microbes like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, which can creep into our food supply during the growing, packaging, and handling stages. Undetected, these bacteria make their way into our kitchens and onto our dinner plates.

So should you be worried? Yes, and no, says Ted Labuza, Ph.D., a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. Foodborne illnesses can be a serious health risk: More than 300,000 people check into a hospital due to one annually, and 5,000 die. "But the overall danger is on the decline, thanks to better technology and stricter governmental regulations," says Labuza.

Plus, you have a lot more control over getting sick than you might think. "Taking a few precautions when preparing your food can drastically reduce your odds of poisoning," says Labuza. Read on to find out the risks behind five common threats, and how you can safeguard your health.

The Scare

Killer salad
The Real Deal While E. coli (short for Escherichia coli) is typically associated with eating undercooked ground beef, people have also gotten sick from consuming contaminated bean sprouts or leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach. Last summer, an E. coli outbreak traced to bagged baby spinach struck more than 200 people and killed three. "Fruits and vegetables may be exposed to tainted water or soil," explains Robert Gravani, Ph.D., a professor of food science at Cornell University. The bacteria, which live in the digestive systems of cattle and pigs, are passed into their manure. When that waste is used as fertilizer, the bacteria can travel through the ground or water supply.

Although most types of E. coli are harmless, one virulent strain can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, or in severe cases, kidney damage.

If you've been exposed (symptoms start around two to eight days afterward), drink plenty of water and wait for it to pass through your system in about a week. Although it sounds counterintuitive, avoid antidiarrheal medications: They slow down your intestinal function, giving the bacteria more time to attack your body. See your doctor if you're sick for longer than a week or if you have bloody diarrhea or a fever, which may signal a kidney complication.

Protect Yourself

• Remove the outer layer of a head of lettuce
  This is the most likely part to harbor E. coli. "Then wash your hands with soap and warm water before touching the rest," says Michael P. Doyle, Ph.D., a professor of food science at the University of Georgia.

• Rinse all produce
  Run everything under water, including bagged vegetables, lettuce and other greens. Even those labeled "ready to eat" or "prewashed" may be contaminated.

• Cook sprouts
  The moist environment that they're grown in is a breeding ground for bacteria.