Salmonella Outbreak on Uncooked Tomatoes in Nine States

[Jeana (DP)]

I love those tomatoes! Dh and I love sliced tomato, cucumber and onion w/ zesty itallian dressing.

Yummy!!! Me too!!!

 

[Taximom]

Can you grow them, becklynn? We will haves TONS in a few months and I was dreading it, but not now after reading this news.

 

[MistyM]

farmer's market tomatoes should be okay? you think?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

farmer's market tomatoes should be okay? you think?

The ones in Canada are not affected by this, right? If they are, then you shouldn't assume that farmer's market ones are okay~

 

[Linda7NJ]

I am from NEW JERSEY and we have THE BEST tomatoes in the whole world. I love em and eat them all summer long.

If I died because of salmonella from a jersey tomato...it would still be worth it!

This news means NOTHING to me!

 

[becklynn]

Can you grow them, becklynn? We will haves TONS in a few months and I was dreading it, but not now after reading this news.

We have a tomato plant but we have moved to an apartment so it is on the patio trying to thrive. I used to grow my own and had so many I let people just drop by to pick them.

 

[shana]

The tomatoes may have the same problem as the spinach did. The salmonella is introduced through irrigation. It’s not on but in the tomatoes.

Thank you, Jade!

I read this thread early 'today' and was too lazy to research the info as you did so well.

This all started back many years ago with watermelon (here in CA, anyway). Since then, we've been thru lettuce, green onions, spinach, and more.

(I bought an earthbox recently...I so long for the veggie garden we had out front way back...container gardening is about as much as I have time for anymore.)

 

[teedie2]

Oh, dear! We have one-half of a large round tomato in the fridge. Ate some yesterday, none today, but I assume it's safe because we didn't get sick. Just sick when I paid for it... It went at $2.00 a pound. But . . it was good!

Wonder if this affects HEB Seriously Sweet tomatoes? They aren't on the vine, they are small tomatoes, come in plastic box, and are $3.99 for 12 ounces! They are fantastic. HEB is pulling suspect type tomatoes, so I'll check there tomorrow. I'd rather anything cause illness other than tomatoes. I'm a tomato-freak, and it sounds like there are lot more on here.

 

[Jesikah1]

I read this info yesterday here and had forgotten about it until I went to a local restaurant for my lunch break. The staff explained that there wasn't any tomatoes in the dish due to this outbreak. Does anybody know how long this moratorium on tomatoes will last? I'm here in New Mexico where it seems quite a few have fallen ill, so I think I'll just skip all raw tomatoes for awhile, although it'll be hard!

 

[Jaded]

I don't get it - I thought salmonella was from stuff that wasn't cooked the whole way (like eggs) - you don't have to cook tomatoes, how can you get salmonella from it??

Over the summer a great appetizer for tomatoe lovers...
Slice tomatoes, arrange on a serving platter. Slice fresh mozarella and place on top of tomato slices. Add fresh basil and then drizzle some olive oil over the top. Yummm.

SieSie - that is my ABSOLUTE favorite way to eat tomatoes - and using the small Romas are the best. I also like to make tomato, onion, a pinch of garlic with Italian dressing and fresh mozarella -let it stand to room temp and dig in. Good stuff.

I would much rather eat a garden grown tomato than from the grocery store. I think they have a much better taste. Guess I won't be having any mater sammiches anytime soon until they figure this out.

 

[txsvicki]

I didn't realize that salmonella could become integrated into the system of a vegetable. I wonder if parasites and other bacteria could be the same way. It's scary because so many vegetables and fruits are imported from other countries where the sanitation may not be very strict.

 

[shana]

Slice tomatoes, arrange on a serving platter. Slice fresh mozarella and place on top of tomato slices. Add fresh basil and then drizzle some olive oil over the top. Yummm.

SieSie, yes! This was my fave luncheon at Hamburger Hamlet back in the day (Los Angeles area). It was called Fromaggio Pomadoro on the menu...deelish!

 

[SieSie]

SieSie - that is my ABSOLUTE favorite way to eat tomatoes - and using the small Romas are the best. I also like to make tomato, onion, a pinch of garlic with Italian dressing and fresh mozarella -let it stand to room temp and dig in. Good stuff.

I would much rather eat a garden grown tomato than from the grocery store. I think they have a much better taste. Guess I won't be having any mater sammiches anytime soon until they figure this out.

I like the one with the Italian dressing, too - we must've grown up with the same recipes.

Slice tomatoes, arrange on a serving platter. Slice fresh mozarella and place on top of tomato slices. Add fresh basil and then drizzle some olive oil over the top. Yummm.

SieSie, yes! This was my fave luncheon at Hamburger Hamlet back in the day (Los Angeles area). It was called Fromaggio Pomadoro on the menu...deelish!

Oooh, cool, I didn't know it had a name. My mom taught me how to make it and it's sooooo good if everything's fresh.

 

[Clearly Confused]

I read this info yesterday here and had forgotten about it until I went to a local restaurant for my lunch break. The staff explained that there wasn't any tomatoes in the dish due to this outbreak. Does anybody know how long this moratorium on tomatoes will last? I'm here in New Mexico where it seems quite a few have fallen ill, so I think I'll just skip all raw tomatoes for awhile, although it'll be hard!

There was a sign hanging in my lunch spot today to explain why no tomatoes and I am in PA.

Linda7Nj...I lover Jersey tomatoes too!!

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Went to Logan's Steakhouse last night for dinner - told them I didn't want croutons on my salad...she said fine, and there won't be tomatoes on the salad, either

 

[philamena]

From my local newspaper, The Daily Press.

An outbreak of salmonella initially linked to uncooked tomatoes has reached Virginia.

U.S. health officials say two people in Virginia are among the more than 100 in a dozen states who reportedly have been infected with the same strain of salmonella.

:banghead:

 

[SeekingJana]

I live in TX so I heard this on the breaking news a couple or three days ago. I picked up the phone and called my mother to tell her to stop eating raw tomatoes this summer until she hears otherwise from me.

Although they live 3 states away from Texas, I still worry because it's just as hot where she lives as where I live and the produce is irrigated too, etc.

The conversation went like this-
Me: " Hey, mother, don't eat ANY raw tomatoes until you hear differently from me. There is widespread contamination with Salmonella, and it looks like they are finding it in more and more states every day".

Mother: " We just got back from the Farmer's Market. You mean I have to throw ALL of these beautiful tomatoes that I hand-selected away?"

Me: " Yes. Absolutely unless YOU grew them in your yard and know that your water source for growing was as pure as your drinking water. Also, there's a chance that not all of the Farmer's Market tomatoes were actually grown locally and in good clean watering conditions".

Mother- " Can I just wash them off and peel them real good?"

Me- " Throw the tomatoes away OR cook them. One or the other".

Mother- " But your daddy loves them raw in the summer. I even take the seeds out because of his diverticulosis".

Me- I know, Mother, but do you want him to DIE with a stomach full of delicious tomatoes? He's 84 years old. Throw them away or cook them well".

Mother- " Harry brought over a whole sack from his garden. How about those?"

Me- " Eat them if you know Harry grew them and didn't buy any of them. Don't get them mixed up with any from the grocery store though."

Mother- SO IT'S GROCERY STORE TOMATOES I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?"

Me- "Mother, do you really honestly think that EVERY person who sets up a tomato stand at the Farmer's Market or brings over garden tomatoes hand-picked every single tomato without fail out of their pristine, very clean garden? What if they had 2 tomatoes which came from Mexico laying nearby and they got mixed in and you bought the contaminated tomatoes by mistake?"

Mother- " I don't know but we surely do have a ton of really pretty tomatoes, and I hate to throw good food away".

Me- "Mother, Salmonella is food poisoning. It can make a healthy person very sick. You and Daddy are elderly now. You have less defenses against bacteria. DON'T EAT RAW TOMATOES UNTIL I KNOW THEY ARE SAFE EVERYWHERE, OK?"

Mother- " Well, you have a point. I guess if I didn't grow it, I don't know for sure where it came from. I lay my tomatoes out on the windowsill to ripen sometimes, so I guess a Grocery Store tomato could get mixed in with someone's garden tomatoes when they are bagging them up for us".

Me- " NOW YOU GET IT MOTHER. JUST DON'T EAT THE TOMATOES".

Please pray for my parents. I just know they are eating raw tomatoes every day because the " outbreak" isn't news in their state--- YET.

 

[SeekingJana]

The cases of Salmonella are spreading across the country, just as the produce trucks are delivering the bad tomatoes.. I told my mother!!
Maria

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Awww Shoot!! I just bought two lovely tomatoes yesterday for a salad tomorrow. Oh, well...I can live without them!

Strange...I cannot find a complete list of the states included.

 

[SeekingJana]

Awww Shoot!! I just bought two lovely tomatoes yesterday for a salad tomorrow. Oh, well...I can live without them!

Strange...I cannot find a complete list of the states included.

I have a health care professional advisory which says 19 states. Here is a public article which says 16.

http://sciencemode.com/2008/06/07/salmonella-outbreak-sickens-tomato-eaters-in-16-states/

States listed:
145 people in 16 states have been affected:
Arizona (12 persons)
California (1)
Colorado (1)
Connecticut (1)
Idaho (2)
Illinois (17),
Indiana (1),
Kansas (3),
New Mexico (39)
Oklahoma (3)
Oregon (2)
Texas (56 persons)
Utah (1)
Virginia (2),
Washington (1)
and Wisconsin (3).

I hope this helps a bit. My advice: Just don't risk raw tomatoes except out of your own garden it if you live in North America.
Hugs,
Maria