Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Randy

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is a U.S. government agency focused on protecting public health. The CDC has reported on a number of research findings in order to raise public awareness of these health issues. The CDC reported the public should avoid specific fish due to the food poisoning known as ciguatera. They have also reported that the public is facing a growing health threat of antibiotic-resistant microbes in meat, including pathogens from fecal matter contamination.  The CDC says eating contaminated pork can result in Hepatitis E; intake of raw alfalfa sprouts is risky from a food safety perspective; for every reported case of Salmonella poisoning, about 38 are not reported; in 2012, Campylobacter bacteria was found to contaminate 38% of sampled chicken breasts; a 2003-04 survey found pregnant women in the U.S., on average, harbor 35 different chemicals; pork tapeworms on the brain are a growing cause of neurological disease in the U.S; 78 million Americans are not getting enough arginine, which may help the body burn fat; a higher IQ is associated with higher future earnings; green tea phytonutrient ointment may be helpful in clearing external genital warts; and eating too much salt may be deleterious to our health. Also, it was in 2002 the CDC started noting lead poisoning cases connected to Ayurvedic medications and lastly, in 2012, the CDC reported the U.S. public was eating less in vegetables and fruit than in 2002.

A CDC spokesperson asked it if was reasonable that a parent lose a child because undercooked meat because the industry is trying to shift responsibility for food safety on to the consumer rather than providing a safer product. Through its publications, the CDC has described how undercooking meat can lead to parasite infestation and how antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria has been found in some samples of purchased meat.

The information on this page has been compiled from the research presented in the videos listed. Sources for each video can be found by going to the video’s page and clicking on the Sources Cited tab.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. This image has been modified.