Salmonella scare puts stigma on tomatoes
14.06.2008 03:00
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- Source: JS Online
Jackie Phillips scanned a sea of bright red tomatoes in a Whitefish Bay food store Friday and wondered aloud whether it was safe to buy any of them. “I’ve tried to watch and see what’s safe and what’s not, but it’s hard to keep track,” said Phillips, 25. “Produce in general makes you nervous – between spinach and tomatoes. . . . We need better controls.” Phillips, of Whitefish Bay, is not the only shopper experiencing tomato anxiety as the federal government works to track down the source of bacteria-tainted tomatoes that have sickened 228 people in 23 states, including three in Wisconsin. Some shoppers are still wary of bagged spinach, which was implicated in a deadly E. coli outbreak in 2006. Stores such as Sendik’s in Whitefish Bay have posted signs over tomatoes to reassure customers that the fruit is from states the government has cleared in the outbreak. The federal government warned consumers this week to avoid certain tomatoes unless they come from your backyard or from a list of tomato-producing states deemed safe. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine still attached are not part of the warning. Those in question are: raw red plum, raw red Roma and raw red round tomatoes, plus products containing them such as salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers this an “active outbreak,” spokeswoman Arleen Porcell said Friday from Atlanta. The illness involves diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Although most people recover without treatment, severe infections may occur. At least 23 people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. “We promote fruits and vegetables in public health,” said Paul Biedrzycki, director of disease control and environmental health for the Milwaukee Health Department. “But the more I see these outbreaks, the more I get concerned about the conflicting messages. People are starting to wonder: If fruits and vegetables aren’t safe, what is safe?” Food contamination cases are likely to become a fact of life, he warned, as the food system faces greater economic pressure from consumers to provide a wider variety of fresh produce year-round, regardless of season, and the food chain keeps expanding. Technology has made it possible to provide better surveillance and pinpoint outbreaks more quickly, while previously it may have taken years for health officials to connect the dots, Biedrzycki said. On Friday, federal officials confirmed that nine people sickened in the outbreak linked to tomatoes ate at two restaurants from the same chain. David Acheson, associate commissioner of foods for the FDA, declined to name the chain or specify the location of the restaurants during a conference call with reporters. Glendale wholesale produce distributor Sam Maglio, of Maglio and Co., said he is frustrated with the time it’s taking to pinpoint the source of the tainted tomatoes. “We’re all kind of scratching our heads, wondering why they’re crippling an entire industry,” he said. Tomatoes distributed by Maglio are grown in a region of Florida that has been cleared by the FDA, but, Maglio said, it may be difficult to convince consumers it’s OK to buy and eat them. “Rebuilding trust and confidence is a challenge,” he said. FDA information on this investigation can be found at: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html Consumers who are unsure where the tomatoes in their home came from are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for that information. If consumers are unable to determine the source of the tomatoes, they should not be eaten. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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