Feb 25, 2011

Tomatoes cleared in salmonella outbreak

In a study released recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided detailed evidence linking a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008 to jalapeño and serrano peppers. They also explained how tomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages of the investigation.

“We credit the CDC and Food and Drug Administration now for reporting these findings, as an important lesson to be learned in outbreak investigations,” said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh Produce Association president and CEO. “The fresh produce industry is 100-percent committed to doing all we can to prevent any contamination of any commodity from ever occurring. In the rare case in which a problem does occur, we stand ready to work with local, state and federal officials to bring the most rapid identification, traceback and removal of a product from the marketplace. We are committed to bringing our very best scientific knowledge and detailed understanding of growing areas, production processes and distribution to help government officials quickly identify and remove the real cause of any problem.”

Stenzel said the study stated that many sick individuals recalled eating a salsa product. Officials prematurely jumped to the conclusion that tomatoes were causing the outbreak, Stenzel said, but failed to recognize the peppers that were contained as an ingredient. In doing so, this may have unwittingly allowed the outbreak to continue.