Photo courtesy of _Villains at Flickr.com.
Every couple of months, there seems to be another outbreak of foodborne illness due to factory farms. In 2006, there was an outbreak of e coli on spinach that made at least 199 people sick. It was eventually traced to the fields, where manure from either cow or deer contaminated irrigation ditches.
We’re now in the midst of a similar problem – more than 600 people in 33 states have become ill after eating tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella. These tomatoes could have been exposed to bacteria in the field, during harvest, at the distributor, in transit or even at the grocery store.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacteria are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.
That’s right – the tomatoes were probably contaminated with animal feces. That’s not an ingredient that you’ll find in many recipes!
If you have even the slightest suspicion that your food is contaminated, don’t eat it. Just throw it out – it’s not worthwhile to take the chance. When disposing of contaminated food, composting it is a bad idea. Unless your compost pile reaches super hot temperatures (160 degrees or higher) it may not kill all of the harmful bacteria, and they can contaminate the soil.
So, how can you protect yourself against Salmonella flavored tomatoes? Here are a few methods:
1) Sanitize all food prep surfaces
The kitchen is a danger zone for fresh produce. Cutting boards and countertops that are used to prepare raw chicken can harbor millions of unseen germs should not be used for your vegetables or fruit. To kill off salmonella (and many other types of bacteria), start by clearing off all debris with a rag soaked in hot, soapy water. Then, use a clean rag to apply a disinfecting cleaner. Bleach, ammonia, and wood alcohol are all effective.
2) Scrub your tomatoes – put some elbow grease into it!
With fresh tomatoes, it’s important to wash off any soil and dislodge pathogens on the surface. Hold the tomatoes under running water and scrub them using your hands or a clean rag. Do not use soap, detergent or bleach to wash tomatoes – these contain harmful chemicals that can be absorbed and passed onto you.
3) Cook it, and I mean hot!
High temperatures are effective at killing Salmonella, and they can break down the toxins that many other bacteria leave behind. A good temperature to aim for is 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71.1 degrees Celsius). Playing it safe can be delicious – have you ever tried Fried Green Tomatoes?
4) Grow your own tomatoes
The best way to make sure that your tomatoes are safe is to grow your own tomatoes. That way, you know where the tomatoes have been and can prevent exposure to dangerous fertilizers. You can also ensure that your tomatoes are chemical free by using organic fertilizers and replacing pesticides with organic insect control.
Photo courtesy of MaiNuts at Flickr.com.
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