Potatoes
A freshly scrubbed spud that’s properly cooked is unlikely to cause illness. But watch out for potato salad. Cross contamination – the transfer of germs from one type of food, usually meat, to another – can be the source of the problem. Potato-related outbreaks of illness have been traced to germs like Listeria (which can live on deli counters ), Shigella, E. coli, and Salmonella.
Cheese
While restaurants are a key source of other food-related outbreaks, most people who get sick from cheese do so from products consumed at home. Cheese can be contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella or Listeria, which can cause miscarriages. (That’s why doctors warn pregnant women to avoid soft cheeses, such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican style cheese.)
