After 15 multistate outbreaks of Salmonella food poisoning linked to raw tomatoes from 1973 to 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is researching the fruit's vulnerability to the bacteria. Twelve of those outbreaks have occurred since 2000, resulting in almost 2,000 illnesses and three deaths. Dr. Eric Brown, director of FDA's Division of Microbiology said, "the conditions in which tomatoes thrive are also the conditions in which Salmonella thrive. But the tomato always presented an extra challenge because it is so short-lived. By the time it looked like contaminated tomatoes could be causing illnesses, the harvest would be gone." Government scientists are trying to figure out how to reduce contamination early in tomato production. What can be done to prevent contamination … [Read more...]
Most Food Poisoning Outbreaks Linked to Restaurants, Delis
Most food poisoning outbreaks are caused by food prepared at restaurants or delis according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, which looked at outbreak data from 1998 to 2008, found that 68 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks were linked to restaurants or delis. And another 7 percent were associated with food prepared at a catering or banquet facility. Recently there have been a number of food poisoning outbreaks associated with restaurants. In late June, a Salmonella outbreak prompted health officials to close Iguana Joe’s restaurant on W. Lake Houston Parkway in Atascocita, Texas. Several people who ate at the restaurant contracted Salmonella poisoning, some of them were hospitalized. A Salmonella outbreak associated with the … [Read more...]
