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that is unsafe is food that has been contaminated with hazardous
microbes somewhere during the production, handling or storage
processes. There are a number of ways in which these microbes
come in contact with our food supply, and depending on the
food product, the likely mechanisms for contamination vary.
For more information, read How Our Food Becomes Contaminated.
Certain foods are more likely to come in contact with pathogens
than others. This is based on whether contamination is likely
to occur in the food production process and individual food
characteristics that support pathogens’ ability to proliferate.
Foods repeatedly shown to have carried hazardous contaminates
include meat (beef, pork, lamb), cold cuts, hotdogs, unpasteurized
milk or milk products, shellfish and crustacea, poultry, fish,
tofu, shell eggs, cooked rice, beans, package garlic and oil
mixtures, baked or boiled potatoes, sliced melons, berries,
sprouts and raw seeds, soy protein foods, and unpasteurized
juice. However, many other foods have also been implicated
in illnesses. Cross-contamination and secondary transmission
(person-to-person) are also ways in which people are exposed
to foodborne diseases.
For more information see the following links:
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