I’m a food safety expert — these grocery store staples pose the biggest E. coli risks

This will make your tummy churn.

As dozens of group are sickened by E. coli successful an outbreak linked to nan McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, food information experts are revealing what items to steer clear of to debar food-borne unwellness astatine nan market store.

At nan apical of nan database is bagged, pre-washed greens.

Barbara Kowalcyk, head of Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security astatine George Washington University, told NBC News that nutrient that claims to beryllium pre-washed — specified arsenic lettuce, vegetables aliases moreover trim consequence — should beryllium avoided, arsenic it tin beryllium a breeding crushed for bacteria.

Instead, she recommends buying full heads of lettuce and washing it herself pinch h2o and patting it barren pinch insubstantial towels.

“Any leafage that is torn aliases damaged, I conscionable propulsion it away, because that’s really nan germs tin get successful there,” she explained, adding that she avoids sprouts and cantaloupe, too. “And I usually return nan outer leaves disconnected and discard them.”

Cantaloupe’s webbed rind tin trap bacteria, added Darin Detwiler, a Northeastern University professor of nutrient regulatory policy.

“It’s 1 of nan astir deadly pieces of nutrient retired there, of each things,” he told NBC News. “Cantaloupe has a cleanable pH, and you can’t cleanable nan extracurricular enough.”

Don Schaffner, a nutrient subject professor astatine Rutgers University, warned that astir consequence — particularly if it has been sitting retired for agelong periods of clip — also poses a risk.

“I do a batch of workshops, and they often person trim consequence connected nan meal buffet, and that consequence conscionable sits location each time long,” he told NBC News. “We’ve done investigation to show that nan beingness quality of it doesn’t change, but it tin turn germs for illustration nobody’s business.”

According to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nutrient poisoning symptoms from germs for illustration listeria aliases E. coli — which origin infections successful nan gastrointestinal tract — include nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal symptom and diarrhea. Some cases tin moreover consequence successful hospitalization aliases beryllium fatal.

Already, nan McDonald’s E. coli outbreak has killed 1 personification successful Colorado and spread to aggregate states, arsenic nan accelerated nutrient chain’s supplier recalled yellowish onions “out of an abundance of caution,” prompting different restaurants to do nan same.

Schaffner explained that nan much nutrient is processed from nan workplace to your table, nan much consequence location is for it to beryllium introduced to bacteria, which tin past make you sick.

“The much manipulation you do, surely nan much places location are for things to spell wrong,” he said.