COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 271
● Raw fish dishes in regions with less stringent food safety
regulations
A study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that
proper freezing reduces parasite risk in raw fish by >90% [20].
Raw or Undercooked Meat
● Taenia saginata: Transmitted through undercooked beef.
● Taenia solium: Transmitted through undercooked pork.
● Toxoplasma gondii: Found in undercooked meat, particularly
lamb and pork.
Raw Fruits and Vegetables
● Soil-transmitted helminths: May contaminate produce grown
in or near soil fertilized with human waste.
● Cyclospora cayetanensis: Associated with imported berries
and fresh produce.
● Cryptosporidium and Giardia: Can contaminate produce
through irrigation with contaminated water.
Sprouts and Raw Plant Foods
Bean sprouts and other sprouted seeds present a particular risk
due to the warm, moist growing conditions that favor microbial
growth:
● Cryptosporidium and Giardia: May contaminate sprouts
grown in contaminated water.
● A study in the Journal of Food Protection found that
approximately 2% of commercially available sprouts
contained parasitic contaminants [21].
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