Are you more susceptible to food borne illnesses on a Raw Food diet?

Like Salmonella and others?

Even if you are vegan and on a raw food diet, the manure used to grow that food could be contaminated with salmonella or that mad cow disease, right?Are you more susceptible to food borne illnesses on a Raw Food diet?
I would say you are no more or no less susceptible.
With all the recalls, most was foods that most EVERYONE eats raw.
the last few well publicized recalls were all produce.
Even the one in Europe was cucumbers.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/06/01鈥?/a>
A while back it was spinach at one point, green onions at some point and even tomatoes.
Peanut butter as well.
http://pediatrics.about.com/b/2011/04/06鈥?/a>
http://www.newsday.com/business/green-on鈥?/a>
http://peanutrecall.com/
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/鈥?/a>
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/04/23/c鈥?/a>
http://pediatrics.about.com/b/2011/03/23鈥?/a>
Each one of these links is for a different vegetable or fruit by the way, not several articles on the same item.
Scary huh?
Especially when you realize that both salmonella and e-coli can be killed in the cooking process.

While meat and eggs gets the reputation thanks to vegans, vegetarians and fear mongers, produce has just as many or more problems.

Colleen, meat companies don't go around 'dumping crap" on veggie fields unless they are asked to and well rotted manure is an acceptible, non chemical form of fertilizer. Would you prefer chemical fertilizer over natural?? you cannot have it both ways.
And Salmonella is also caused by produce workers who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom, or rats living in the warehouses and fields where produce is grown or stored or birds flying over head. Ditto with e-coli by the way which lives naturally in the intestinal tracts of many humans and animals. You cannot blame ONLY meat producers...Are you more susceptible to food borne illnesses on a Raw Food diet?
Salmonella is a direct cause of the meat industry. Salmonella is an enteric bacterium, which means that it lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella bacteria are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces or foods that have been handled by infected food service workers who have practised poor personal hygiene. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as beef, poultry, milk, or eggs, but all foods, including vegetables, may become contaminated. Many raw foods of animal origin are frequently contaminated, but thorough cooking kills Salmonella.



So, if the meat industry stopped dumping crap on our crops, chances are salmonella in food would be practically non existent. Until then, raw foodists may be at a risk if they eat raw fruits and vegetables from non trustworthy sources.Are you more susceptible to food borne illnesses on a Raw Food diet?
Not more susceptible to salmonella since cooking doesn't necessarily kill it. Not at all susceptible to mad cow disease (in humans this is called vCJD) since it is caused by prions which are in the meat and not on plants etc unless you eat a plant with some meat on it.

However there are some pathogens which are more likely to be eaten on raw foods, bacteria and fungi etc. But it's important to note that these are typically only harmful if you have an immune disorder and by exposure to pathogens you actually strengthen your immune system (when the exposure is too small to actually make you sick). So pathogens are one thing I doubt raw foodies will be more likely to experience...Are you more susceptible to food borne illnesses on a Raw Food diet?
Never thought of that. I'm never sick. Except when I eat at a bad restaurant ( thanks to the local taco for making three day old guac still on the menu).
I do find I repel diseases, colds, flu and stomach bugs a lot more. And I don't get food borne diseases from tainted peanut paste and cheese and other processed food issues that a lot of my friends do- a stomach flu will go round, and I don't get it. Etc.
As far as the recent melon deaths go, anyone could have got that. Same for most salad based raw items.
Not mad cow disease. That's a brain prion disease. To get it, you have to basically eat some of an infected animal's brain or nervous system. But, yes, several dangerous pathogens, including salmonella, can be killed with proper cooking. Recently we have had two big outbreaks that killed lots of people. Not from meat, but from fresh veggies and fruit (cantaloupe and sprouts). Several years ago the USDA really cracked down on meat processing and, while there are often meat recalls, very few people actually get sick or die anymore. The FDA hasn't done nearly as good a job with fruits and veggies.



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/salm鈥?/a>