The 10 Riskiest Foods to Eat, According to Food Safety Experts

We went straight to the experts.

When you live in a world where you hear about food recalls all the time, it's hard not to wonder if certain foods are riskier to eat than others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses every year, a shocking statistic. So what can you do to minimize your risk?

We previously wrote about the riskiest foods according to recall data from the last five years, but this time we went straight to the experts for advice. We talked to several food safety experts, and here are their top ten picks for the riskiest foods to eat.

The Riskiest Foods to Eat, According to Food Safety Experts

Raw Cookie Dough and Batter

Tempted as you may be, you should think twice about eating raw cookie dough. Leanne Blommaert, Product and Process Innovation Technical Manager at NSF, says that most flour in the raw cookie dough is raw, meaning that it has not been heat-treated to kill germs that can cause food poisoning like E.coli or Salmonella. Flour was notably among the 10 most frequently-recalled foods in the five last years, due to foodborne illness outbreaks.

On top of the flour, the raw eggs in the dough may also contain Salmonella. If you can resist a bite of dough here and there, buy commercially pasteurized baking mixes or cookie doughs labelled "Safe to Eat Raw." Bloommaert explains that these are safe to consume, as they are made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, or sometimes without eggs at all.

Unpasteurized Diary

Milk undergoes a pasteurization process to kill harmful bacteria, but some states allow certain processors to skip this step, allowing them to sell raw milk. Kristen Nauss, MS, MBA, RD, SNS, and founder of Buying School Food, warns against consuming unpasteurized dairy. The possibility for contamination in raw milk is high, and even the CDC deems it "one of the riskiest foods."

Nauss says she would not risk consuming raw dairy products, nor would she recommend the elderly, young children, and people with weakened immune systems consume them, either.

Raw Shellfish

If you call yourself a foodie or seafood lover, you have probably indulged in freshly shucked oysters at some point. As much as they please the palette with their subtle, salty flavor, they are also risky to eat.

Raw or undercooked fish and shellfish, including oysters, could be contaminated with Vibrio bacteria, which is present in coastal waters. Vibrio bacteria are present in higher concentrations between May and October, according to the CDC, which also happens to be when many of us enjoy these briny bites. Many species of Vibrio bacteria can cause vibriosis, a nasty foodborne illness. The CDC estimate that about 80,000 vibriosis-related cases are reported each year, with 80% of infections occurring between May and October.

Raw Fish

You should probably avoid eating freshly-caught fish raw, because it can contain parasites, Salmonella, or Listeria. The Food and Drug Administration recommends freezing the raw fish at very low temperatures before serving to destroy the parasites. Look for "sushi grade" or "sashimi grade" fish if you plan to make your own sushi, ceviche or carpaccio.

Even then, if you're in a high-risk group, such as being pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised, you should likely avoid raw fish altogether. While you would hope your retailer follows all the safe food-handling practices, you can never be too sure.

Steak Tartare

Don’t get us wrong, we know steak tartare is a delicacy, but the thought of eating raw ground beef is daunting for some. It may become even less appetizing when you learn that raw ground beef is a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria like E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter, where meat from the outer surface contaminates the inner contents. Steak tartare also often uses raw egg yolk, which adds an extra risk of contracting Salmonella.

Undercooked Ground Meat

It may be obvious that steak tartare is a risky food item, but so is undercooked ground meat. Trevor Craig, Director of Food and Nutrition at Microbac Laboratories shares that he wouldn’t eat any undercooked ground meat, including underdone burger patties. He says, “No medium burgers for me…I would never risk [getting sick from that.]”

Grilled Foods

Cooking meats and veggies on the grill outdoors is a beloved summertime tradition, but keep an eye on how the person on grill duty handles the food. Matthew Taylor, MCIEH, CEnvH Grad, IOSH, and Senior Manager of Consulting at NSF, suggests checking to see if the person grilling has washed their hands after handling raw meat and used different utensils for raw and cooked foods. Many hidden dangers can lurk around the grill.

Party Platters & Salads

Ever attended a gathering that made you question how long the food has been sitting out? Nauss would rather politely decline a plate. “That potato salad could have been sitting out…for hours. [I would] pass,” she says. She adds that food should be consumed or discarded within four hours of taking it out of the fridge or oven to prevent bacteria from multiplying to unsafe levels.

Foods left in an environment over 90 degrees F are especially risky, and this is certainly true for outdoor picnics in the summer. When it comes to outdoor entertaining, Taylor adds that he avoids munching on foods left uncovered due to flies and bugs, as well.

Mishandled Leftovers

Have you ever left your takeout in the car or at your desk all day? Or accidentally placed your leftover dinner on the counter, and forgotten about it overnight? Instead of eating these items, discarding them is the best practice to avoid food poisoning. Nauss says, “Even if these foods are reheated to the proper temperature, a mishandled leftover is unsafe to eat.”

To safely handle leftovers, Nauss recommends using the two-stage cooling method: Cooling the food to below 70 degrees F on the countertop within 2 hours, then in the fridge below 41 degrees F within another 4 hours. Once the food is properly cooled and stored in the fridge, reheat them to at least 165 degrees F.

Swollen or Damaged Cans

Canned foods can last in the pantry for a long time, even after their expiration date. More than expired cans, you should be on the lookout for bulging, significantly dented or damaged cans. These can be a sign that the can were contaminated with bacteria during the manufacturing process. Here is a nifty guide to determining which dented cans are safe to consume, versus those that should be discarded.

When mishaps happen during the canning process, it can allow the bacteria Clostridium botulism to grow and produce a toxin, leading to the illness botulism. While botulism is rare, the toxins could cause one to experience difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis or even death. With that possible outcome, we wouldn't risk it.