Tomatoes are in, peppers are out

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July 17, 9:43 PM

by Dr. Delia Chiaramonte, Baltimore Health Examiner

 

 

Serrano peppers.  Photo courtesy of About.com

The FDA has updated its warning about the recent outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul, so lovers of fresh veggies take note. Tomatoes had been implicated, some might say demonized, but now they are off the hook. Feel free to enjoy a BLT or fresh mozzarella and tomato panini (my preference), but leave off the jalepeno or serrano peppers.

Many, but not all, of the people who became ill during the outbreak reported eating these varieties of pepper. In all, over 1,000 people became infected with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Canada since April of this year. It isn’t clear whether peppers are the only culprits or if, perhaps, both tomatoes and peppers from the same farm or packing house were contaminated.

For most of us Salmonella causes an uncomfortable familiarity with the bathroom but not much else. It is the very young, very old, and the immunocompromised who face real danger. If you are feeding someone in those high-risk categories, spend some extra time washing your produce. It won’t necessarily prevent Salmonella or other infections, but it certainly couldn’t hurt.

Enjoy your tomatoes.

Dr. C.
www.insightmedicalconsultants.com
 

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