Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It reads like a grocery list: Deli meat, frozen waffles and pancakes, onions, hamburgers. All of those food items have been in the headlines recently for listeria and E. coli concerns.
Why is this happening more frequently?
"When you see how we get food from farm to table, you'll see that the journey is much longer," said Dr. Joseph Chow, Regional Medical Director at Western New York Immediate Care. "We're eating more processed food, which means there are more steps to get the food to us. And more steps mean more opportunity for contamination."
It's not just processed food, but bacteria is becoming more resistant to antibiotics, and the U.S. is importing more food.
Chow added, "It's not just one single factor. It's the evolution of food and how we get it to our table."
Thoroughly cooking or reheating food can kill listeria, but you need to be cooking things at a high enough temperature.
"We have a digital thermometer at my house," Chow said, "to ensure that the food is cooked properly."
If you cook it properly, you will kill the bacteria, but Chow warns that it is only one part of the process. You still have to handle the food carefully while you're prepping it. You shouldn't use the same board with different foods.
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In the case of the E. coli outbreak at McDonald's, Taylor Farms has issued a recall on raw onions after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicated the ingredient as "a likely source of the contamination."
"It's concerning if it comes from one source," explained Chow. "You have to trace it back, otherwise it can spread to many different states."
Chow said If you have a product on a recall list, the best thing to do is throw it away.
"The most severe symptoms, with e E. coli, can cause kidney failure and multi organ damage. Listeria can get into the central nervous system. You can get headaches, fevers and even seizures. The vast majority of people who get these infections will do just fine. But if the symptoms go on for more than a few days, or start seeing blood, you need to see a health care provider."