The Food Safety and Nutrition Survey conducted by The Food and Drug Administration, demonstrated continued concern over foodborne infection associated with raw chicken and beef compared to vegetables or fruit. Chicken is regarded as being a higher source of infection (93 percent of respondents) compared to beef (66 percent). In contrast, a lower proportion of those surveyed considered raw vegetables (9 percent) or fruit (6 percent) were either "likely or highly likely" to carry foodborne pathogens. This misperception was evident despite the epidemiologic evidence that shows the growing importance of vegetables including leafy greens as the source of foodborne infections including E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria in the case of some fruit.
The survey disclosed that 29 percent of respondents considered restaurants as a more likely source of foodborne infection compared to home-cooked food at 15 percent.
The high proportion of respondents regarding chicken as a source of pathogens should attract the attention of the NCC that has posted informative articles on social media. The widely held perception that chicken is a source of foodborne infection may serve as a restraint to consumption.
Details of the survey can be accessed on the FDA website <www.fda.gov>.