At the time of the writing of this news column, the nation is experiencing a salmonellosis outbreak in certain raw tomatoes. This includes raw plum tomatoes, raw Roma tomatoes, and raw round tomatoes.
Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes. This is why numerous restaurants discontinued the sale of raw tomatoes in any form earlier this past week.
Tomatoes not included in the alert are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.
If you are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that you may have in your home, we encourage you to contact the store or place of purchase for that information. Tomatoes grown in home gardens and those from local growers are not affected.
Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon form of Salmonella. At least 23 hospitalizations have been reported thus causing the need for the alert.
Regardless of the situation, it is always a good idea to follow safety precautions when handling tomatoes as well as other fruits and vegetable before consuming them. There is no way to determine if a tomato is affected by Salmonella Saintpaul because you can’t see it, taste it or smell it. So to be sure cut away and discard the part of the tomato that attaches to the plant and the bottom of the fruit on the other side.
Cooking tomatoes at 145 degrees will kill salmonella. Therefore products such as ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes and so forth are safe to eat.
Some other safety tips to follow include:
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Check your tomatoes – determine where your tomatoes came from. Call the grocery store where you purchased them; consume only those tomatoes which are not affected such as cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes with the vine still attached, and those from your own garden; know your grower.
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Wash your produce – Wash thoroughly with cold running water; scrub gently with your fingers or a vegetable brush; wash even if you plan to peel the fruit; special washing solutions are not necessary as research has shown there is no difference in using them verses using plain water.
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Wash your hands and work surfaces frequently – always wash hands after using the restroom; wash cutting boards, knives, containers, and counters to avoid cross contamination never allowing raw meat to come in contact with fruit and vegetables to be eaten raw.
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Inquire at restaurants – if any of your favorite restaurants still have tomatoes available, ask where their tomatoes were purchased. If you are concerned, tell them to prepare your sandwich or salad without tomatoes. Removing the tomatoes once the food has reached your table does not remove the contamination.
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Report any illnesses – Experiencing symptoms similar to those of the flu such as abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting within 12 to 72 hours after being infected and should be reported to our local health unit.
For additional information on food safety and foodborne illness, contact Margaret at the LSU AgCenter Office located at 511 Roussell Street in Houma or call (985) 873-6495. E-mail questions or comments to MBurlew@agcenter.lsu.edu. In addition, log onto the Family and Consumer Sciences section under the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service at the LSU AgCenter website: http://www.lsuagcenter.com.