A health advocacy group said its study of food-borne illnesses over 16 years proves that the food-safety regulatory system in the United States is failing.

The group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, focused its study on foods regulated by the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and representing about 80 percent of products found in grocery stores.

The findings show that "it is clearly time for FDA's reliance on industry self-regulation to come to an end," said CSPI staff attorney Sarah Klein. The study found that leafy greens, eggs and tuna posed the greatest risk of making you sick. The seven other foods to make the study's Top 10 riskiest list were oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts and berries

The study excluded beef, poultry and other meats, which are overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Congress currently is working on legislation to strengthen the FDA's authority over food processors by requiring them to follow stringent food-safety practices and undergo frequent inspections.

The public interest group reviewed data on outbreaks of illnesses linked to contaminated food from 1990 to 2006. "Outbreaks give the best evidence of where and when the food safety system is failing," said Ms. Klein.

The CSPI found lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens contaminated with E. coli, norovirus or salmonella were linked to 363 outbreaks over the 16-year period, sickening nearly 13,600 people. Manure, contaminated irrigation water or poor handling practices are possible culprits. Eggs were linked to 352 outbreaks, while tuna was tied to 268 outbreaks.

Together, the 10 riskiest foods accounted for nearly 40 percent of outbreaks involving FDA-regulated foods, according to the report. Because most food-borne illnesses are not reported, "these outbreaks are only the tip of a large, hulking iceberg," the CSPI said.

Despite the risk, CSPI did not recommend that consumers change their eating habits since many of the riskiest foods are an important part of a healthy diet.

Some industry groups criticized the report. The National Milk Producers Federation issued a statement yesterday saying it appeared the study was based on outdated information.

Overall, experts said, the nation's food supply was safe, with one illness reported for every 3,000 to 4,000 meals.

Still, each year 76 million people nationwide get sick on the food they eat, according to government estimates. And the consequences can be dire. Among those stricken, about 300,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die.

The CSPI's data did not distinguish between organic, non-organic, domestic or imported foods. Neither did it identify where contamination occurred, such as on the farm or during food processing, transportation or preparation in a restaurant or at home.

Consumers can take steps to reduce the chances of getting sick, such as by avoiding raw or under-cooked eggs and seafood, and by storing foods at cold enough temperatures. But but often the problem is out of their control.

For example, CSPI found that 86 percent of outbreaks involving tuna were caused by scombrotoxin, a pathogen created by decaying fish that isn't destroyed by cooking. The pathogen, which can cause heart palpitations and blindness, primarily affects fresh tuna, not canned. (The big tuna processors that package canned tuna have more rigourous standards for ensuring suppliers keep tuna cold during shipping, Ms. Klein said.)

Once scombrotoxin forms, "you can't cook it out," she said.

In addition, consumers can do little at home to remove salmonella or E. coli from contaminated produce such as lettuce, tomatoes or berries, short of cooking them.

"Just rinsing with water in your kitchen most likely won't solve the problem," Ms. Klein said. "Salmonella can get inside the tomato through the stem, and the surface area of a raspberry or blackberry, you can't possibly get into the tiny nooks and crannies.

"Consumers need to use their voices to let government and the food industry know food has to be safe before it reaches us," she said.

Problems with widespread contamination have increased with the growth of pre-mixed salads and other packaged fresh-cut produce, she said. For example, during large-scale production, parts of a single head of contaminated lettuce could be spread among thousands of bags of chopped salad, sickening thousands instead of a single family.

The FDA does not require growers to have written food safety plans nor does it set safety standards, CSPI said.

"The FDA needs tough, 21st-century tools to deal with centralized, modern production," Ms. Klein said.

"We cannot rely on the good will of the food industry."

Washington correspondent Daniel Malloy writes the "Pittsburgh On The Potomac" blog exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.