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salmonella and tomatoes
Salmonella, the deadly bacterium that has a sneaky way of infiltrating our fruits and vegetables, has struck again. Since April 10, at least 228 people in 23 states have been sickened by the contaminant (the states include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, though it is not known if the tomatoes were grown in those states or imported.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Salmonella outbreak might have also contributed to the death of a Texas cancer patient.

Here's a quick run-down from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on how to stay safe, as well as a list of reasonable options if you still want to eat tomatoes this summer.

What You Can Eat, What to Avoid:

* Avoid raw red plum, raw red Roma, and raw red round tomatoes that have NOT been grown in the following states.

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte)*, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, Puerto Rico

* Shipments of tomatoes harvested in these counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

* Eat: Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes still on the vine appear to be safe to eat. Canned (that is, processed) or bottled foods like tomato juice and spaghetti sauce are also safe if they were processed by a commercial food-processing facility.

Be wary of: fresh salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other prepared foods that contain tomatoes. Ask the proprietor of the store or restaurant to verify the source of the tomatoes they use. If you're unsure that the tomatoes are safe, says the FDA's food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson, "don't eat them."

Get treatment immediately

People who have eaten food contaminated with Salmonella often have fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Infection with Salmonella also may be more serious or fatal in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. If you suspect Salmonella poisoning, seek medical help immediately.

Know how Salmonella spreads

Salmonella lives in the intestinal tracts of some animals, and can survive in soil and water for months. A tomato contaminated with Salmonella can spread the bacterium to the hands of a person who cuts the tomato and to the cutting board on which the tomato is sliced, for example. Because Salmonella is so hard to wash off, do not to try to wash tomatoes that are implicated in the outbreak. In most cases, you won't be able to kill Salmonella by cooking, either. Throw out all suspect tomates.
farmers market
Before you buy tomatoes from the local farmers' market, make sure they were indeed grown locally. Farmers' markets get their tomatoes from a variety of sources that are not necessarily limited to local farms. These other sources may include the same ones that provided the tomatoes implicated in the Salmonella outbreak. Ask retailers at farmers' markets where their tomatoes come from to ensure they haven't been grown in a state where salmonella is present.

That being said, chances may be higher that tomatoes grown at your local farmers' market are safe.

You can find farmers that sell direct to consumers here .

To find food grown in your community, check with Local Harvest.

Want to grow your own? There's still time to plant and harvest tomatoes. Put them in big pots on your porch or patio, or plant them directly in a backyard garden. Here are some organic gardening tips to help you get started.

If you want to grow your own but have no room, try a community garden. If it's too late for this year, get on the waiting list for this fall or next spring.

By the way, if you want to pass this information along to a friend, just click on the Forward button right below my signature.

Talk to you again soon,

 Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

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