New York Times

Produce Becoming Increasing Source for Food Illnesses
By MARIAN BURROS
Published: November 23, 2003

To consumers who took nutritionists' advice seriously and began eating
more fruits and vegetables, word that fresh green onions could carry the
hepatitis virus came as a shock.

Yet the recent outbreaks of hepatitis A linked to contaminated scallions
imported from Mexico, which have killed three people and sickened
hundreds, are only the latest examples in a sharp rise of food-borne
illness from fruits and vegetables. In 2000, the last year for which
information is complete, there were almost as many reported cases of
food poisoning from produce as there were from beef, poultry, fish and
eggs combined, according to an advocacy group's compilation of
government data.

"It's a huge problem and not one easy to solve," said Dr. Glen Morris,
chairman of the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine at
the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a former Agriculture
Department official. "Produce is emerging as an important cause of
food-borne illness in this country."

Scientists and some government officials say illnesses have risen
sharply because people are eating more fresh produce and want it
year-round, leading to an increase in imports from countries with less
stringent sanitary standards.

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