There were 16 multistate outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. in 2011, with five of them involving fresh produce, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual year in review.
Coral Beach of The Packer reports fresh produce involved were: romaine lettuce, cantaloupes (two outbreaks), whole papayas and alfalfa and spicy sprouts. Two outbreaks were related to nuts, one involving Turkish pine nuts and the other involving hazelnuts. Lists for recent years are on the CDC’s website.
According to the CDC, 2011 was the most active year in recent history for foodborne illness outbreaks that crossed statelines. In 2010 there were 12, four of them involving fresh produce: alfalfa sprouts (two outbreaks) and shredded romaine lettuce. The other case involved an unnamed Mexican fast food restaurant chain that served a variety of items, including several fresh produce commodities.