Health News: Children Under 5 account for almost 30% of deaths from foodborne diseases ♦ Is there a Boston College connection to the Chipotle outbreak

Children Under 5 account for almost 30% of deaths from foodborne diseases A new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that almost 30% of all deaths from foodborne diseases occur in children aged below five years. The "WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases" report estimates the global burden of foodborne diseases.

Norovirus outbreak following catered event sickens 200 people  An estimated 200 people have reported symptoms of norovirus following a catered event held Tuesday, Dec. 1, at a downtown Seattle office tower. Two people were hospitalized and eight were treated at local emergency rooms. City health officials reportedly closed all food vendors operating at the building while the investigation continues.

Is there a Boston College connection to the Chipotle outbreak Chipotle Mexican Grill started the week being blamed for more illnesses in a potentially expanded number of E. coli infections, sending its stock diving to another post-outbreak low. But the most recent allegations — while getting plenty of attention — are not yet proven facts. .

Fresh produce causes most US foodborne illness outbreaks Fresh produce is the cause of most foodborne illnesses in the U.S., reports the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In a study of outbreaks that occurred between 2004 and 2013, the consumer advocacy group found that fresh produce, such as cilantro, cucumbers, cantaloupes and peppers, caused 629 outbreaks and almost 20,000 illnesses

Should We Stop Eating Fruit & Vegetables because of Foodborne Diseases?

There was an article out yesterday that suggested that people should stop eating fruits and vegetables because 46% of foodborne disease comes from fruit and vegetables. What the article did not say is that 54% of foodborne disease comes from animal products. They did not say the we should stop eating meat.

In the United States 90 % of the people do not eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.We definitely eat more meat than is healthy for us to eat. Each Year around 3,000 die from diseases caused by foodborne pathogens. This is nothing compared to the hundreds  of thousands of people who die from diabetes, heart attacks and other diseases caused by not eating a balanced diet. Most Americans do not get the minimum daily requirement of vitamins and minerals.They do get a lot more protein and fat than they need.

It seems scary when we read about 30 people dying from eating cantaloupe or bean sprouts but you never see a headline telling you how many people died of a heart attack. Heart attacks are common so they are not headline news where cantaloupe deaths are rare so they are front page news.

The Produce News pointed out that Americans eat one billion servings of fruit and vegetables each day. To have a healthy America we need to up that to two billion.

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