Turkey burgers, made with ground turkey, are served with a possible double whammy of bacterial infection. In 2013, a conclusive study found overwhelmingly that as much as 69 percent of samples showed traces of enterococcus. The study, by Consumer Reports, found that 90 percent of samples were positive for one of five common food bacteria.
It is bad enough that the meat is so prone to contamination, but what makes it twice as bad is that the antibiotics that the birds are injected with at turkey farms are responsible for making it more difficult to get well from a turkey burger food poisoning. Healing from the illness can take a long time because, in part, multiple antibiotics may be required.
Escolar
Avoid this fish like the plague. It causes such severe gastrointestinal mayhem that both Italy and Japan have banned the sale of it. Sometimes called butterfish, walu, and oilfish, this relatively novel tuna variety has a rich buttery texture, making it more and more commonly found on restaurant menus. With many fish species susceptible to overfishing, escolar is widely available.
The attribute that gives this fish its buttery flakes is the same that causes problems. It contains esters called “gempylotoxin,” and these oils can trigger diarrhea—but not just any diarrhea. The Kitchn, prefaced with an apology, says, it “causes explosive, oily, orange diarrhea.” The good news is that escolar is nontoxic, but it has caused plenty of people a very messy and humiliating experience. It is advised that one consumes six ounces or less.
Salads Are Only Good for You Until They’re Not
Not only are salads overpriced, but the pile of leafy greens that are magnificently heaped upon your plate may also be harboring bacteria. In 2018 and 2019, over 370 people were sickened by romaine contaminated with E. coli.
Food safety expert Ben Chapman, a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University told Consumer Reports, “There are many opportunities along the continuum—from seed all the way to a consumer’s plate—for greens to become contaminated.” And, unfortunately, it is restaurants where proper washing of the greens may not be as thorough as expected.
The Sweet Jalebi
The jalebi is one of the yummiest menu items at any Indian food restaurant, but it is also a really bad choice. Just to put it in perspective, it made Huffington Post’s 10 Most Fattening Foods in the World list. What does it take to be one of the world’s most unhealthy foods? A jalebi is a deep-fried dough, to start, making it as fattening as a funnel cake, but it doesn’t stop there.
The dough is then slathered in saffron syrup. Devouring just one of these dainty delicacies puts you back more than 300 calories for the day, and who can eat just one?
Vindaloo: The Spiciest Food on the Planet
Another Indian food that should have a red flag warning is Vindaloo. The name comes from a variety of saffron, the spiciest saffron known to man. The vindaloo is made spicier by adding chili powder. All in all, it is one of the fieriest foods available.
Traditionally, it comes in beef, pork, or lamb and is copiously covered with garlic, pepper, ginger, and, of course, vindaloo curry. While the curry contains many health benefits, like turmeric, the spice has been known to trigger a rare allergy resulting in an anaphylactic reaction that may need hospitalization. In short, vindaloo is one fiery food.