They're currently checking jalapenos and cilantro. At this pace it'll be garlic and onion next. Then tomatoes again...

The media and the FDA really blew it on this one. I wonder
how many hard-working tomato farmers were hurt because of
this false accusation against the tomato industry.
Of course, the farmers here in NC were grateful for being
able to pick up all the extra business as they were on the
FDA "safe" list.

At least now, my maters are starting to come in, so I know
they are safe.

Lee

Lee,

Don't worry, the USDA will subsidize the growers so they will come out smelling like roses. I know because I'm a farmer and I see it all the time. I personally have too much pride to accept government "gimme" programs.

Actually, it hurts the average Joe because they are the ones paying for it in the end.

Tim

Of course, the farmers here in NC were grateful for being
able to pick up all the extra business as they were on the
FDA "safe" list.

*****

True enough Lee for NC and also true for CDC to be looking into the possible role of cilantro and jalapenos, as mentioned above, but in every report I've seen tomatoes are still suspect.

From an epidemiological point of view it's very hard to trace back a problem when so many folks from so many different states and so many possible different exposures to be sure that they have a source or sources.

So I can't speak to ALL media others are reading but I don't think that the "media" was irresponsible at all as long as the ultimate source(s) have yet to be IDed.

At least folks can't say they weren 't cautioned.

And of course I feel sorry for the farmers whose tomatoes couldn't be sold, I grew up on a farm and can appreciate that, but balanced against the possibility of some very bad symptoms of Salmonella that can lead to death, I have to go with the cautionary statements made/

Carolyn

---At least now, my maters are starting to come in, so I know they are safe.

Lee
_____________________________________

I have just reached the point where my garden's output is exceeding my ability to eat "just one more 'mater". This usually means that all those neighbors whom I haven't seen in months are showing up for a visit and all want to know about the tomato patch. (I've just gotta teach them to grow some).
:>) :>)

Seriously, I have several neighbors who are still totally terrified about the salmonella scare. The "guvmint" is doing what they do best. Messin' up the whole thing. That "smokin' gun" from Texas idiot that's sitting in the Whitehouse will probably invade another country to take our mind off the tomato problem.

I recall reading an article last week about the salmonella outbreak. The genius writer said not to worry about eating the tomatoes in your backyard garden. They would be safe.... I wonder how many people were actually concerned???? I'm waiting for Al G. to hold a press conference and blame "global warming". The latest I hear is that they are now targeting jalapeno & serrano peppers. Who knows.

Personally, I have taken to spraying my own tomatoes with a dilute solution of Salmonella tea. It seems to be excellent at treating aphids, thrips, and early and late blight.

There was an outbreak in the last month in a town not far away. Had around 90 cases of salmonella in a month from one restaurant. It closed on its own and they checked everything including the food and they reopened only for it too start again. They then tested the employees and found like 11 out of 68 were carriers. They have reopened again and the last I heard is everything is ok. So I wonder if they are sure all this problem is food or could it be some of it will turn out like this? Just a question I have. Maybe Carolyn has more knowledge along these lines and can comment. JD

I'm sorry, did you say 11 out of 68 employees were salmonella carriers? You mean tb, right? Or do I know even less than I thought I did about this stuff?

Carolyn P.

Carolyn P. I mean salmonella. I think i can still find the link for it if you would like. The way I read it is they say after a person has salmonella they are a carrier for a time. And if they don't use proper hygiene practices after using the stool they can transmit it. One of the new practices they are using is alarms to remind the employees to wash their hands and added more wash stations. They started out checking the vegetables thinking they were the cause and let them reopen once thinking everything was ok. JD

Wow, I had to look it up (sorry, I was a social worker, I'm a chronic skeptic). Yikes! Well, now I'm glad I don't eat out much.

I thought I answered this in a previous post. The salmonella was introduced when some fool crossed an eggplant with a tomato.

Seriously though, what I got a kick out of was TV stations sending reporters to farm markets to ask the people if they were afraid of buying tomatoes there. To which the people there answered no. Well...duh. If you all remember the spinach scare from two years ago, it's the same deal. If you buy from a local farmer, or better yet just get the stuff from your back yard, you don't have to worry much about the same stuff that the people that buy from the grocery stores do.

You want to know why they have a hard time tracking down the culprit...too many middle men. When people in New Hampshire want tomatoes in May, where are you going to find them? Well a long ways away. So you're going to have people growing them in Mexico, selling them to distributors in Texas who sell them to wholesalers in Ohio that the restaurants in New Hampshire buy from. That's a lot of places for the USDA to have to check out.

As for the actual cases of salmonella themselves...the symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and the like. Now come on, I'm sure we've all eaten at Taco Bell or McDonalds before, and even if you don't have a taco or Big Mac with tomatoes chances are those will be the side-affects.

Carolyn P I guess you found it. I was going to attach some of the headlines. I guess most of the time the symptoms are mild but some of these got very sick I understand and at least a few were hospitalized.So easy to say it isn't severe until it is you or your family. Know I won't be eating there for a while. Most of the 90 were those that went to the hospital or doctor and it was documented. They said there could be several more where the symptoms were mild they didn't go to the doctor. And understand their business is way down since reopening. I never realized it could be spread like that and was just wondering if part of the other scare couldn't be something like this. JD

My problem with all of this is that it could just be some
moron storing raw chicken in containers above the vegetable
prep station. Here in NC, restaurant inspections are required
anualy, and I can't even count how many times it was reported
that a restraunt was dinged for doing just that.

But since everyone who ate at X got sick, and they all had tomatoes, it must be the tomatoes. Let's shut down the whole
tomato industry to find out where this happened. When in reality, some idiot let raw chicken juice drip on the tomatoes!

I just find the knee-jerk reactions to these kind of reports
completely absurd and paranoid.

Rant off....

They then tested the employees and found like 11 out of 68 were carriers

****

That's a tremendously high carrier rate and would not be expected. What it says to me is that if all are workers in the same restaurant that there was a common source of Salmonella.

And I would also assume that your state health dept would have looked into it to find that common source.

Salmonella is a reportable disease so your state health dept would have been required to contact CDC in Atlanta.

Any followup? Just reopened with nothing else said?

Very strange indeed.

Carolyn

Article in the Times today says that one of the problems is that they can't back-track the tomatoes for more than one transfer and they are often repackaged by wholesalers, sold to another wholesaler and on and on. So there is actually no way of knowing where any given crate of tomatoes originated. And now they think maybe jalapenos as well and, and....?? I'll stick with homegrown but wish they would hurry up.

Down here in TX, Pico De Gallo a.k.a (mexican relish) as some say,
is a staple in many peoples diet in Mexican food..many are scared to try it and several restaurants have removed it to prevent any infection,,that being said, I have always been a fan of roasted salsa..which will kill any traces of salmonella. I've always grown my own tomatoes and peppers, onion but not cilantro..I just roast everything with no worries..as far as dining out?...I'll pass until they nail it down. It took them a while to figure where the bad spinach was coming from (remember that?), so be patient and eat safe.