Between the cases at Taco Bell and the Olive Garden,
Recent E. coli outbreaks have drawn attention to foodborne illnesses, and though officials say the overall number of cases is on the decline, produce — particularly leafy vegetables — is increasingly a carrier of germs once linked only to meat and dairy.
From 1996 to 2005, illnesses were down for virtually every major foodborne germ, including E. coli, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the number of cases of foodborne illness related to produce has more than doubled within that time, from about 40 in 1999 to 86 in 2004, said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest. Each case has affected an average of 50 people.
Read more.