Leafy greens causing more food-borne illness in U.S.

Food-borne illnesses that can be linked to leafy green vegetables are on the rise. Experts once thought that the increase was due simply to the fact that we're all eating more greens, but a recent study found that that answer isn't entirely correct. Over the last decade, consumption of leafy greens increased by about 9%, but food-borne illnesses associated with those greens shot up 39%. Obviously, something else is going wrong.

Food-borne illnesses can be the fault of the consumer, especially if raw foods aren't handled safely. But these numbers are too high to blame on user error alone, and several outbreaks over the last few years were linked to processing plants.

The risk isn't big enough to give up greens for good, especially since greens are so incredibly nutritious. But it is a good idea to have good food safety practices at home. Discard the outer leaves of the plant, then wash your greens well, including any visible dirt, and store unused portions in the refrigerator. Check out this NPR article for tips on keeping your greens and the rest of your fresh produce safe.