An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has now been reported in nine states, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
Lab tests have confirmed 40 illnesses in Texas and New Mexico as the same type of salmonella, right down to the genetic fingerprint.
An investigation by Texas and New Mexico health authorities and the Indian Health Service tied those cases to uncooked large tomatoes.
At least 17 people in Texas and New Mexico have been hospitalized. None have died…
No farm, distributor or grocery chain has been identified as the main source, said Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC epidemiologist working on the investigation.
C’mon, guys. We’re just getting into that time of year when fresh, ripe tomatoes are a weekly treat. Don’t make me nervous!
If it hasn’t been overprocessed and over packaged it’s dangerous. $$$$
The tomatoes are not the source of the salmonella. The toxic junk that gets spread on the tomatoes as fertilizer is the source.
Buy local from an organic farmer or farmers market.
Stop supporting corporate agriculture!
That’s my rant. Thanks.
Outsourcing our food and medicine is a really bad idea and makes America weaker.
Who came up with this insane economic policy of outsourcing everything?
Maybe people should clean their fruits and vegetables before they eat them?
What does the mean for my bacon and tomato on a bun with mayo ?
>>Buy local from an organic farmer or
>>farmers market.
I do. But organic farmers and those selling at the farmers market use shit-based fertilizer, and the shit in shit-based fertilizer is where the salmonella comes from in the first place.
Perhaps best to take the advice of Mr. Hulber (#4) and wash the fruits and vegetables before consumption, no matter where they are purchased.
Don’t recall which; but, there are flavors of some food-borne illness which can rest interior to the fruit or vegetable. Washing ain’t going to help in that case.
To the point, it seems likely these are imported tomatoes. Simply because this has been in process for a couple of weeks, now.
U.S-grown produce probably would have been traced back to the grower by now. Plenty of imported fruits and vegetables making it to market without any paper trail. Especially from Mexico – in my neck of the prairie.
It’s time to crank up the food irradiation program.
This is a good reason to grow your own in a five-gallon bucket. If you are in one of these cramped megapolises and can’t — realize you are in a dangerous place when the depression hits!
Awe, c’mon. Doesn’t this story deserve a screen shot from “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” ?
I think this is the same type of problem that bankrupted the Chis Chis chain. But I think the real culprit ended up being onions not tomatoes. The disease was Hepatits A not Salmonella. Oh well never mind. Fresh Salsa anyone?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,102843,00.html