on Jun 10th, 2008FDA expands tomato warnings
The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warnings to consumers nationwide about the purchase and handling of tomatoes in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that has now sickened 145 people. The source of the outbreak is still undetermined. The FDA says the following are the only types of tomatoes consumers should buy and only if their origin is known:
- grape tomatoes
- cherry tomatoes
- tomatoes sold with the vine attached
- tomatoes grown at home
.
Tomatoes sold at farmers’ markets are not necessarily safe. The FDA’s FAQ for consumers says:
Some farmers’ markets get their tomatoes from sources other than local farms. These other sources may include the same ones that provided the tomatoes implicated in the Salmonella outbreak. At this time, buying the types of tomatoes that are linked to this outbreak at a farmer’s market instead of a grocery store, for example, is not a guarantee that the tomatoes are safe. Consumers should ask retailers at farmers’ markets what the sources of their tomatoes are.
In expanding its advice about handling tomatoes, the FDA points out that fresh produce, including tomatoes, can become contaminated at any point along the supply chain, from the field or greenhouse where it is grown to distribution points to food preparation in restaurants and homes. For that reason its current advice about tomatoes sounds remarkably similar to guidelines for handling poultry, with strict attention to avoiding contamination and cross-contamination. The full advisory is here.
Note that tomatoes, which are usually best stored at room temperature, are now to be refrigerated along with tomato products, such as salsa, and that cooking does not kill salmonella.
The states and countries whose tomatoes are not affected and therefore safe to buy are: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands.
Related: Salmonella Now in 16 States
Afternoon update 6/10 - Florida’s tomato business is in “complete collapse”
Sphere: Related Content
nooooo! Refrigerating tomatoes kills the taste.
The tomato industry has spent millions trying to teach people not to put tomatoes in the fridge.
And now this.
Very sad
Our food supply is really broken.
bug_girl’s last blog post..No power until Thursday
I know. Add to that the fact that I never see tomatoes in my area from some of the safe places, and that’s probably true for everyone, and it becomes an even sadder situation. At least grape and cherry tomatoes usually have good flavor, but they’re usually among the most expensive.
Thankfully, no one has died.