A leading food safety expert has shared his top tips for avoiding foodborne illness after a report found deaths caused by contaminated food have doubled.
A report by the Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit focused on consumer protection, found that in 2024 there were about 300 food recalls associated with nearly 1,400 illnesses, of which 487 were hospitalized and 19 died.
Dr Darin Detwiler, a former advisor to the FDA and USDA, told DailyMail.com the fact severe illnesses were up more than 100 percent from 2023 indicates more bacteria is getting into US food.
He said: ‘We must take action to protect ourselves and recognize where the food system is failing us.’
Dr Detwiler says he has ten simple tips to avoiding foodborne illnesses and his first word of advice is to ditch bagged salad greens and pre-cut fruits or vegetables.
He explains that these products are one of the most commonly recalled food categories and have been linked to multiple deadly outbreaks of E. coli and Listeria
One of the deadliest recalls in 2024 included onion products used to make McDonald’s Quarter Pounders – which resulted in the death of a Colorado man and dozens of other costumers falling sick.
Next up, the food expert advises being cautious with ground meat and poultry, as there is ‘a higher risk of contamination due to surface area exposure and mixing of multiple animals in processing’.
Foodborne deaths in the US doubled last year, a worrying new report has revealed, with a leading food safety expert calling for the government to enforce stricter measures
A better option, he says, would be choosing whole cuts of meat and grinding them yourself at home if possible.
While it has become a fashionable drink lauded for its health benefits, Dr Detwiler says he would never drink raw milk or eat unpasteurized dairy products.
He explains: ‘Raw milk is one of the riskiest dairy products – the CDC estimates that people who drink raw milk are 840 times more likely to get a foodborne illness than those who consume pasteurized milk.
‘Raw milk has been linked to serious outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.’
A better option would be sticking to pasteurized dairy products.
Overall, contaminated food sickened 1,400 people in 2024, an increase from 1,120 in 2023. Last year also saw 487 hospitalizations – more than double the previous year.
Deaths also more than doubled, from eight in 2023 to 19 in 2024.
Another item Dr Detwiler avoids at all costs are raw sprouts. He reveals that there have been 50 outbreaks tied to ‘traditional’ raw sprouts since the 1990s, with salmonella and E. coli contamination occurring in the growing process..
While he doesn’t suggest avoiding them completely, the former government advisor says it is best to be wary of oysters and raw shellfish.
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
This is because ‘potentially deadly bacteria thrive in shellfish’, leading to life-threatening infections.
This year, health officials went about recalling oysters harvested southeastern Louisiana and shipped to seven states after 15 people fell ill with norovirus.
While you might enjoy your eggs runny, Dr Detwiler says this is a no-no. He recommends cooking eggs fully as salmonella contamination is still a real risk.
One of the other deadliest recalls last year involved millions of pounds of deli meat from Boar’s Head, which allegedly led to the deaths of 10 people and 59 hospitalizations across 19 states.
For this reason, Dr Detwiler says it advisable to exercise caution with deli meats and soft cheeses.
He reveals: ‘Listeria contamination is common in deli meats, hot dogs, and soft cheeses like brie and feta. In serious cases, this can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, and death in vulnerable populations. It is always best to heat deli meats to steaming hot before eating.’
On the subject of cooking, Dr Detwiler says he would avoid any foods that look undercooked or ‘stale, like they have been left out too long in the kitchen or at a buffet’.
One item that the food safety expert recommends banning altogether in cantaloupe.
In his opinion, there have been ‘too many deadly outbreaks to warrant eating the fruit’.
One of the deadliest outbreaks in the US took hold in 2011, when contaminated cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado caused a listeriosis outbreak killing 33 people and sickening 147.
Dr Darin Detwiler, a former advisor to the FDA and USDA, told DailyMail.com that this the news that foodborne illness deaths have doubled is ‘deeply troubling’
Lastly, Dr Detwiler says it is of upmost importance to pay attention to restaurant ratings when dining out.
Food safety ratings for restaurants in the US are based on local and state food codes, and can be letter grades or numerical scores.
He adds: ‘I avoid restaurants that are repeat violators of basic food safety compliance.’
Following the news that foodborne deaths in the US doubled in 2024, Dr Detwiler says more needs to be done by policymakers to stop the trend.
He concludes: ‘We need to pass proactive policies before the next deadly outbreak, rather than waiting for deaths to force change. Food safety should not be a reactive process – it must be a priority every single day.
‘After three decades of progress in policy, technology, cultural awareness, and scientific understanding of food safety, we should be celebrating improvements – not seeing a slide backward.
‘I have dedicated my career to food safety following the death of my son, Riley, from E. coli in 1993.
‘In the years since, we have seen positive changes -stronger regulations, better outbreak tracing, and improved industry accountability. But despite these gains, food safety today is no better overall than it was 30 years ago.’
