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Those Tasty Salmonella Tomatoes
By PK | June 10, 2008
You can’t see it, you can’t taste it, and you can’t smell it! That’s because it’s a pathogen. Eating food contaminated with foodborne pathogens is the leading cause of foodborne illness. Now don’t go running for your dictionary…a pathogen is an illness causing microorganism and one such pathogen is Salmonella.
There are four types of microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Bacteria present in food can quickly multiply to dangerous levels when food is improperly cooked, held, cooled, and reheated. AND some bacteria form spores that can survive cooking temperatures. So, is it safe to still enjoy a ripe, juicy tomato even if it’s cooked? NO! Follow the FDA’s advice and throw those ‘maters’ away.
The smallest of the microbial food contaminants is viruses. They usually contaminate food through a foodhandler’s improper personal hygiene and can survive freezing and cooking temperatures. SO, wash those hands AND the tomatoes.
You ask parasites??? Isn’t that a bug or something? Sort of, but on a much smaller scale. Remember I said microorganism. YOU can’t see it. Parasites can be found in water and inside many animals, such as cows, chickens, pigs, and fish. Proper cooking and freezing will kill parasites. Avoid cross-contamination and wash those hands…again!!!
Now fungi is most often what causes food to spoil. Mold and yeast is a form of fungi. So, throw those rotten tomatoes out!
The FDA has cleared tomatoes from these regions, saying they are not associated with the outbreak: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, The Netherlands and Puerto Rico.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping, and typically show up within 12 to 72 hours of infection.
Illness usually lasts four to seven days. Serious complications are more likely in infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. See my article, “Food Safety - Safe Food Handling Procedures” for the complete list of individuals with the lowest tolerances. (Filed under Rants and Raves)
Remember…”When in doubt, throw it out!”
I currently hold certificates in Serv-Safe Food Safety and Foodservice Management Professional. I have worked in the Food Industry for over 25 years.
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Topics: Food Safety |
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