Salmonella Bacteria

Well, it’s official, the salmonella bacteria that has been allegedly plaguing the tomato crop has been quelled.  The FDA lifted it’s warning on tomatoes yesterday, though we may not be out of salmonella bacteria woods yet. While the tomato crops were initially prime suspect in the salmonella Saintpaul (the strain of salmonella) outbreak it appears that true culprit may hot peppers. A vegetable tomatoes are often combined with in preparation of various sauce mixes.

Investigators still don’t know what caused the outbreak, which has now sicked over 1200 people in 42 states. While the FDA is not ready to clear the tomatoe crop 100% of salmonella bacteria they have cleared all recently harvested crops. So any fresh tomatoes at your local grocery store should be safe to consume.

Tomatoes harvested during the spring crop could still be tainted with salmonella bacteria. So be wary of canned tomato based products, as they could be contaminated. Additionally, be wary of all hot peppers. While investigator’s haven’t officially issued a warning on peppers yet, they have said they are the top suspect in this continuing investigation.