Contaminated fruits and vegetables are causing more food-borne illnesses among people than raw chicken or eggs, consumer advocates said in a report released in the United States on Monday.

Common sources of food illnesses include various bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli that can infect humans and animals.

"Although poultry has historically been responsible for far more salmonella infections, in the most recent years ... produce seems to be catching up," the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in the United States said.

In fact, vegetables and fruits triggered 31 outbreaks from 2002 to 2003 in the United States, compared with 29 for chicken and other poultry, according to the report.

Overall, contaminated tomatoes, sprouts and other produce made 28,315 people sick during 554 outbreaks from 1990 to 2003 -- 20 percent of all cases CSPI found.

Chicken made 14,729 people sick in 476 outbreaks, and eggs were responsible for 10,847 illnesses from 329 outbreaks, according to the group.

Food-related infections cause a range of problems from discomfort to severe dehydration and death, but most problematic organisms can be killed when food is cooked long enough at high enough temperatures.

Editor: Donald