TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Leafy green vegetables are
responsible for more foodborne illnesses than any other food,
according to a new government report. But meat and poultry cause
more deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention report published online Jan. 29 and in the March
print issue of the journal Emerging infectious Diseases. Almost
half (46 percent) of illnesses were traced back to produce,
including fruits and nuts. Twenty-two percent were due to
consuming leafy vegetables such as kale or spinach. Dairy
products were responsible for 14 percent of illnesses, fruits
and nuts for 12 percent, and poultry for 10 percent. Meat --
particularly poultry -- was responsible for the most deaths,
with 43 percent of all deaths estimated to have come from land
animals. Nineteen percent of deaths were due to poultry alone
and mostly from listeria or salmonella. Two years ago, the CDC
published estimates on the number of foodborne illnesses
acquired in the United States, includ