The Latest on the Salmonella Outbreak
By Michelle Fabio
Michigan has now been added to the list of states hit by the recent outbreak of salmonella food poisoning believed to be linked to certain tomatoes, making a total of 17 states affected.
Meanwhile tomatoes from many more states have been deemed safe by the FDA. See the complete list of safe sources of tomatoes.
Remember that even in states that haven’t been cleared by the FDA, only red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes have been associated with the spread of the Saintpaul strain of salmonella that has now led to 167 reported illnesses and 23 hospitalizations across the United States.
Some companies aren’t taking any chances with the potential for salmonella food poisoning and have pulled tomatoes from their inventory; these include McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Kroger, Outback Steakhouse, Winn-Dixie and Taco Bell.
The source of the salmonella still hasn’t been identified although some speculation has risen that Mexico, which produces 84% of tomatoes imported by the United States, could be the point of origin as the country has not yet been cleared by the FDA.
The current salmonella outbreak is the 14th in America linked to tomatoes since 1990.
For more information:
Salmonella information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
June 13th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Thanks for keeping us updated!
June 13th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Talk about a classic case of over-reaction! The old newspaper motto: “If it bleeds, it leads”!
Mike
June 13th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Uh – we are a site about “Everything Tomato”. If this isn’t the biggest tomato news of the year for most of our readers and others who love this juicy fruit, I don’t know what is.
Respectfully,
-reggie
June 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Y’know, I had a tomato for lunch today. Not one I grew myself, as those (sadly) will not be ready for another six weeks or so. No, my lunch tomato was from the local Mennonite shop, where they sell produce grown in the ground under a greenhouse-type cover (a glorified cold frame, if you will). I did not worry for one second that my tomato was contaminated, because it was (a) local, (b) grown by people I know and trust, and (c) local. This latest food contamination scare is yet another indication that we need to wake up and smell the local food revolution – food as commodity is just not a healthy way to live. Better to pay a little more and know where the stuff is coming from, methinks.
OK, I’ll get off the soapbox now.
June 25th, 2008 at 12:02 am
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