Raw sprouts

Wait, what? Aren’t sprouts like the ultimate health food? Yes, but, no. Sprouts are grown in warm, wet conditions, which makes them basically a petri dish for germs (including Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria). Thoroughly cooking sprouts kills the harmful germs. So, if you don’t totally LOVE sprouts, think about cooking them rather than serving them raw on your sandwiches and salads.

For more useful information on food-borne illnesses, Bernard Camins, MD, chief epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has put together this fact sheet that’s definitely worth a look.