The last few years we have been dealing with e coli in our lettuce, lead in our pet food and toys, and now salmonella in our tomatoes. I don't know about you, but I am beginning to feel under attack.
Why Tomato Salmonella is Strange
Salmonella usually occurs in and transmitted by affected animals such as birds and reptiles. The reason a cook is supposed to wash his hands and cutting boards after preparing chicken is to eliminate salmonella poisoning in other foods. It is recommended to wash hands and cutting boards with soap and water.
First of all, I don't know how tomatoes could get contaminated. From growing tomatoes myself, I don't usually see birds landing on tomato vines. Plus this salmonella strain is resistant to soap washing.
Second, if growers are putting chicken and tomatoes into the same shipping containers, they should be caught and fined. Very simple.
Third, if this contamination is commercial grade and is deliberate, then we need our agencies to find the perpetrators. Once again, even though I am not a conspiracy theorist, I am beginning to wonder why we are getting more and more problems with food-borne illnesses.
Our Food Sources are Vulnerable
Our food sources are vulnerable. We ship many of our foods from one ends of the country to another. Many of our foods come from South America and other countries besides our own. When I was growing up, we would get our vegetables and fruits from our neighbors through barter.
Even the grocery stores bought their produce from locals. Although it was hard to get certain fruits out of season, we had fresh produce.
In conclusion, I want to point out that there are still local farmer's markets out there. We have a weekly on in Reno, Nevada. I know that even though the FDA has announced that cherry, grape, and vine tomatoes are fine , I think I will buy my tomatoes from someone I trust: my neighbor.
