Researchers Pinpoint Which Bird Species Pose Food Safety Risk to Crops

By Emily Dooley

Concerns over foodborne risk from birds may not be as severe as once thought by produce farmers, according to research from the University of California, Davis, that found low instances of E. coli and Salmonella prevalence.

While the research found that the risk is often low, it varies depending on species. Birds like starlings that flock in large numbers and forage on the ground near cattle are more likely to spread pathogenic bacteria to crops like lettuce, spinach and broccoli, according to the study of food safety risk and bird pathogens. In contrast, insect-eating species were less likely to carry pathogens.

The findings, published in the journal Ecological Applications, suggest that current practice of removing bird habitats around produce growers’ farms over concerns the animals could bring foodborne pathogens into their fields may not solve the problem.