Leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale accounted for the most food-borne illnesses nationwide from 1998 through 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Dairy products accounted for the most hospitalizations. The most deaths were linked to poultry.

The study isn’t meant to be a “risk of illness per serving” list for consumers, said Patricia Griffin, a food-borne disease expert at the CDC who was the senior author of the report. The statistics are meant to help regulators and the food industry target efforts to improve the safety of food.

“The vast majority of meals are safe,” she said, so don’t let the numbers for leafy greens keep you from eating vegetables. “Eating them is so important to a healthy diet. They’re linked to reduced risk of heart attacks, stroke and cancer.”. . .