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Unfortunately you can't tell whether a food is contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) by the way it looks, smells or tastes. Although most types of E. coli bacteria are harmless, certain strains can cause serious foodborne illness.
Foods that have been linked to E. coli include beef, sprouts, spinach, lettuce, ready-to-eat salads, fruit, raw milk, and raw flour and cookie dough.
To protect yourself from E. coli infection and other foodborne illnesses, follow basic food safety guidelines:
With
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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