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Time of India
18-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
These are the 10 riskiest foods right now that can lead to health crisis
The United States experienced a significant surge in foodborne illnesses , with a 41 percent increase in recalls compared to the previous year, according to the US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) Education Fund, a nonprofit organization that conducts research and public education on issues affecting consumer health, safety, and the environment. Reports identified the following as the 10 riskiest foods based on the number of illnesses, deaths, and recalls: Deli Meats by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Deli meats like ham and turkey are prone to Listeria, a dangerous bacterium that can survive in cold storage. A deadly outbreak in 2024 linked to Boar's Head led to 10 deaths and millions of pounds in recalls. The issue lies in how these meats are processed and stored, making them vulnerable to contamination. Cucumbers Cucumbers were tied to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened over 100 people across 23 states. Because they're eaten raw and grown close to the ground, they can easily pick up bacteria from contaminated soil or water. Washing helps, but doesn't guarantee safety if the bacteria are internal. Live Events Raw Dairy Raw (unpasteurized) milk and cream can carry harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria. In 2024, raw milk from Raw Farm caused an outbreak that sickened 171 people. Pasteurization kills these germs, which is why raw dairy is illegal in some states and not recommended by health experts. Cotija and Queso Fresco Cheeses These soft cheeses, often made from raw milk, have been linked to long-running Listeria outbreaks. In one case, products from Rizo-López Foods caused illnesses and deaths over nearly a decade before a massive recall. Even when stored properly, they can harbor dangerous bacteria. Eggs Eggs can become contaminated with Salmonella, especially if the shells are cracked or improperly cleaned. Though outbreaks have decreased over the years, 2024 saw a spike tied to improperly handled eggs. Cooking eggs fully and storing them in the fridge helps reduce the risk. Onions Slivered onions used in McDonald's burgers were connected to an E. coli outbreak in 2024. Contamination can happen in the field through dirty irrigation water or animal waste. Because they're often eaten raw, they can pass harmful bacteria straight to consumers. Leafy Greens Spinach, lettuce, and other greens frequently show up in foodborne illness outbreaks, often involving E. coli. These crops are hard to wash thoroughly, and contamination from water or nearby livestock is common. Multiple outbreaks tied to salads occurred in 2024. Organic Carrots Organic baby carrots were involved in E. coli outbreaks, possibly due to fertilizer or runoff from livestock areas. While organic produce is often thought of as 'healthier,' it still carries the same contamination risks as conventional produce. Thorough washing is essential. Organic Basil Fresh herbs like basil are often hand-harvested and minimally processed, which can allow bacteria to stay on the leaves. In 2024, basil was recalled due to Salmonella concerns. Because it's added raw to dishes, any bacteria present go straight into your food. Ready-to-Eat/Cooked Poultry and Meat Pre-cooked meats like rotisserie chicken or frozen cooked patties can still carry Listeria if not handled or stored properly. A large 2024 recall involved millions of pounds of contaminated meat from BrucePac. These foods should always be reheated to a safe temperature before eating. These foods were linked to outbreaks of Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. For instance, Boar's Head recalled over 7 million pounds of deli meats due to Listeria contamination, resulting in 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations across 19 states. Similarly, slivered onions served at McDonald's were associated with an E. coli outbreak that sickened 104 people in 14 states, leading to 34 hospitalizations and one death. Experts emphasize that while these foods have been associated with outbreaks, they are not inherently dangerous if handled and prepared correctly. How to stay safe? Proper food safety practices , such as thoroughly washing produce, cooking meats to recommended temperatures, and avoiding cross-contamination, can significantly reduce risks. Martin Bucknavage, a senior food safety extension associate at Penn State, noted that companies involved in outbreaks often implement stricter safety measures afterward, making their products safer than before. Consumers are advised to stay informed about food recalls through FDA and USDA updates and to exercise caution, especially if they belong to high-risk groups.
WIRED
13-03-2025
- WIRED
Companies Might Soon Have to Tell You When Their Products Will Die
If everything's computer, it would be nice to know how long computer last. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED Losing access to a device sucks. Whether it's a laptop still running Windows 10, a router that's been phased out by your internet provider, or an expensive AI gadget that has suddenly been bricked, it's a bummer to be permanently disconnected from a thing you paid money for. That's where a group of consumer advocates hope to help, by calling on US lawmakers to create policies that support connected products at the end of their lives. Stacey Higginbotham, a Policy Fellow at Consumer Reports and former journalist who covered internet-of-things devices for more than a decade, has been through the dead device gauntlet more than a few times. She's used every weird, swiftly forgotten gadget since the Quirky Egg Minder—a smart egg carton that was meant to keep you appraised of how many eggs you had, but ultimately failed to capture a market. (Though you can still buy one if you really want to.) Turns out, lots of stuff has gone this route. 'I had hundreds—I'm not kidding, hundreds —of devices that have died over these decades,' Higginbotham says. 'I have lived through hundreds of poorly thought out, poorly executed IoT products that have come into the market, failed and then left a trail of e-waste and unhappy consumers behind them.' Higginbotham helped put together a new joint report by the consumer advocacy groups Consumer Reports, US PIRG, and the nonprofit Secure Resilient Future Foundation. The report suggests language for potential legislation that it hopes will be picked up and championed by lawmakers at the state or federal level. The Connected Consumer Products End of Life Disclosure Act, as they call it, would require device manufacturers to indicate how long they plan to support the devices they sell, and give users fair warning when their devices are headed toward the end of their lifespan. It's a problem that some consumers will be more familiar with than others. The US Federal Trade Commission, in response to a public letter put out by US PIRG, reviewed the websites of 184 products and found that 89 percent of them did not disclose how long the manufacturer intended to support its product. Lucas Rockett Gutterman, director of PIRG's Designed to Last campaign, says that legislation like this could affect more people than just the early adopters of out-there gadgets like the Quirky Egg Minder or the recently deceased Humane AI Pin. It would apply to people's phones, laptops, fitness trackers, fridges, stoves, printers, microwaves, cars—nearly every device in your house, office, and driveway that can (or probably will someday) connect to the internet. 'I mean, President Trump just said it,' Gutterman says, referencing the US leader's reaction to seeing the dashboard of a Tesla during a recent publicity stunt at the White House: ' 'Everything's computer.' That's true, it is all computer.' When the online services that power a connected device go away, either because a company collapses or just stops supporting certain products, those devices can wind up bricked and broken. They can also remain mostly functional for years, even if the user doesn't realize that software support has ended. That means devices may no longer have access to regular security updates, which can make them vulnerable to cyberattacks or use as an insidious node in a wider botnet of zombie devices. The proposed act would require companies to disclose a 'reasonable' support timeframe on a product's packaging and online where it is sold, letting users know how long they can expect a device to have access to those connected features. It would also require companies to notify customers when their devices are approaching the end of their support lifespans, and inform them of what features are going away. Finally, there's the cybersecurity angle, which would require internet providers to remove and exchange company-provided broadband routers from consumer homes when they reach their end of life. 'The cybersecurity piece really coalesces around the requirement that internet service providers that lease or sell smart connected devices to their customers take responsibility for managing end-of-life devices on their networks,' says Paul Roberts, the president of the Secure Resilient Future Foundation (SRFF), an advocacy non-profit that focuses on cybersecurity. If the router-specific thing feels a little out of left field, that's because Roberts says it is a deliberate two-pronged approach. 'Those are two somewhat distinct issues, but they're all part of the bigger problem,' Roberts says, 'which is putting some guardrails and definition around this smart-device marketplace. Saying to manufacturers, there are rules you need to abide by if you want to sell a smart connected product. It's not the wild west.' Roberts hopes that if the law gets support from lawmakers, and is eventually turned into real legislation, it will create market incentives for companies looking to make more secure software products, similar to how seatbelts and airbags became widely accepted in motor vehicles. However, it's less clear whether that legislation will ever get any traction at the federal level in the US in a political climate dominated by wanton, whirlwind deregulation. While the European Union has led the way on regulation about product repairability, and end-of-life treatment for vehicles and e-waste recycling, the US hasn't made similar moves. 'We are in a place where the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are not really going to do anything that's pro consumer,' says Anshel Sag, a principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategies. 'I don't see any real appetite for regulation.' Sag also feels there's a possibility that such legislation has the potential to dampen the thirst for innovation that drives startups. If companies know they have to support a product for a set amount of time, it could limit the kind of risks they're willing to take. 'I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing,' Sag says. 'I just think there's a lot of startups out there that aren't willing to take on that risk. And I think, because of that, it could impede innovation in some ways.' Higginbotham is far less worried about this. She points back to her vast collection of dead devices—what has amounted to a veritable pile of e-waste. 'I don't know if that really counts as innovation,' Higginbotham says. 'We need to recalibrate our default setting based on the last decade and a half of experience. Maybe you don't have to just throw a bunch of stuff out into the ether and see what sticks.'
