Tomatoes and Salmonella: A Real Concern?
Many of you have heard that McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King and Wal-Mart have decided to yank their tomatoes this week. So what's the real story with tomatoes and Salmonella?
The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers in New Mexico and Texas that a salmonellosis outbreak appears to be linked to eating certain types of red tomatoes and products containing red tomatoes. The bacteria causing the illnesses are Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella.
Preliminary investigation suggests that raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes are the cause. At this point people in New Mexico and Texas should also avoid tomatoes NOT implicated in the outbreak (cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home.)
What happens when you get Salmonella? Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Rarely, the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses.
Was there really an outbreak? Yes, from April 23 through June 1, 2008, there were 57 reported cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul in New Mexico and Texas, including 17 hospitalizations. Approximately 30 reports of illness in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Utah are currently being investigated to determine whether they are also linked to tomatoes.
Another concern, which the FDA hopefully recognizes, is that there are many tomato crops across the country and in foreign countries that are just becoming ready for harvest or will become ready in the coming months. We hope the FDA and CDC find the source of infection so we know what to stay away from. I'll keep you posted, and the tomato consumer page can be found at the FDA web site.
Until we know more, pick them off your food like your 3 year old does.
Dr O.
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16
This board relies too much on FDA references. The FDA is a corrupt organization that is there to assist the corporate pharmaceutical companies make more money.. and more money.. and they contribute to the poisoning of Americans.. they load our food with herbicides and pesticides and so on....... and all are approved by the FDA. Then the same pharmaceutical companies give you blitzes of advertising to buy their prescription drugs to cure the very diseases they created!!!!!!!!!!
By windyspirit August 17, 2008 12:29am
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An Update from June 30th
1) The salmonella outbreak from raw red tomatoes has expanded to include more than 756 cases in 34 states and the District of Columbia, the CDC said last week.
2) At least 95 patients have been hospitalized from the outbreak involving Salmonella Saintpaul.
3) The data suggest illnesses are linked to consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes, the CDC said.
4) Most infected persons develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after infection, which is usually diagnosed by culture of a stool sample.
5) At this time, FDA is advising U.S. consumers to limit their tomato consumption to those that are NOT THE LIKELY SOURCE which include: cherry tomatoes; grape tomatoes; tomatoes sold with the vine still attached; tomatoes grown at home; and red plum, red Roma, and round red tomatoes from specific sources listed at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hotto...*.
Dr O.
By DrOrrange July 1, 2008 10:59am
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this make me want to grow my own garden
By poohscorner June 25, 2008 7:32am
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Yr hot
By look2sky June 20, 2008 3:53pm
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The FDA updated their investigation on the outbreak 6/16/08
1) Types of tomatoes NOT LINKED TO ANY ILLNESSES are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes with the vine still attached and are OK to consume.
2) Since mid April, there have been 277 reported cases of salmonellosis nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul with at least 43 hospitalizations.
3) States NOT implicated in the outbreak are listed on the FDA site and its believed it is safe to consume tomatoes in those states....
Dr O.
By DrOrrange June 17, 2008 1:52am
11
Thank you for the update. I'll look forward to more info on this subject.
Mother of a cfer
By jrmr1306 June 15, 2008 3:11pm
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Crushedgoddess: Hold on to your plants for now...until we know more...I think you are SAFE eating what you grow at home.
By DrOrrange June 14, 2008 2:34am
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so does this mean that i should go pull up my tomato plants out of my back yard? i planted those to save us some money but if could make my kids sick i just dont know. i am not in any of the afore mentioned states but my childrens health is always most important. i guess i am just really confused
By crushedgoddess June 13, 2008 8:58pm
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That's really good to know. Here in the part of colorado I live in no resteraunt has tomotoes. Even subway!
By wildhorselady June 13, 2008 12:43pm
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Wow, I never even thought about the fast food factor in all of this! I know that a lot of the restraunts took the affected foods off of their menus, so I just assumed that the other food places would follow suite!
By htag June 13, 2008 10:13am
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lcoburn: true about spinach but that was an e coli outbreak...and that was eal
loiacki: the concentration of the bacteria on your tomatoe will be much higher
By DrOrrange June 13, 2008 1:15am
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Well we are talking about vegetables commonly consumed raw. Many are saying that the contamination is caused by nearby feed lots which add contaminants to the water table. I've seen water from a well next to a large feed lot run green. It's not potable, it's poison.
By WarrenT June 12, 2008 9:33pm
4
I thought people in Europe had a certain level of exposure to salmonella and lived fine. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of raw yolk dishes, and especially a lot of raw yolk. Survived. My understanding is that salmonella is only dangerous to vulnerable people: seniors, children, sick... Others may or may not get diarrhea and that's it. I am personally not worried about it. I'm sure I was exposed to it as a child.
By cb72 June 12, 2008 8:31pm
3
wouldn't your food already have become contaminated by the bacteria if the tomatoes touched it? I would still feel at risk even if I removed them from a sandwich...
By loiacki June 12, 2008 9:39am
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oh what a load of crap!!! Didn't they say the same about Spinach a few months ago?.....and I know there always saying the same about raw eggs... point being, its all a load of CRAP. :P
By tcoburn June 12, 2008 5:35am
1
thank you for this information
By angelwings4u June 11, 2008 8:50pm