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View Full Version : Salmonellosis Outbreak in Certain Types of Tomatoes



crashdive123
06-10-2008, 04:43 PM
Yet but another food recall. The links give some more info on types and origins of tainted tomatoes. Please be careful.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364448,00.html

Teotwawki
06-10-2008, 06:04 PM
Hardly a week goes by without hearing about tainted food supply. Salmonella, botulism, foreign objects, worms in green beans...

And the masses don't seem to be all that terribly concerned.

IMHO: The FDA is pretty much on the take and works for industry not consumers (e.g. The People).

Why do any of you think the safety of our food supply is so shaky?

crashdive123
06-10-2008, 06:07 PM
Why do any of you think the safety of our food supply is so shaky?

I actually don't find the safety of our food supply shakey (other than we're now putting it in our gas tanks). I am certainly no proponent of big government, but the food safety aspects of the FDA is something that I think they do fairly well. Perfect? Of course not.

nell67
06-10-2008, 06:08 PM
Yea,we had to toss out all of our tomatoes at work,and reject any incoming shipment of them until the all clear is given.

Sunshine
06-10-2008, 06:13 PM
Oh, no! I was planning on taking my dad to our favorite Mexican restaurant for Father's Day. Everything we love to eat there has tomatoes in it.

crashdive123
06-10-2008, 06:20 PM
Find out where they get their tomatoes and check the source against the list (not sure that I would be that trusting).

Sunshine
06-10-2008, 07:48 PM
Find out where they get their tomatoes and check the source against the list (not sure that I would be that trusting).


I'm not that trusting either, so we'll just drink margaritas. :D

Rick
06-10-2008, 07:50 PM
(Adding FDA to massive list of co-conspirators.) This is looking bad, Crash. So far, Trax, WE , you and me are the only ones NOT on the list. Not looking good at all.

crashdive123
06-10-2008, 07:51 PM
I'm not that trusting either, so we'll just drink margaritas. :D

:rolleyes:I'd say that's a pretty good second choice.;)

RangerXanatos
06-10-2008, 10:09 PM
A member of the FDA gave a speech to my class one time. From what I remember, they do their work well. Every PIECE of meat is tested for E. boli, and numerous other bacteria. I would trust food from the US quite a bit more than most other countries.

On the other hand, if I recall correctly, they will sometimes send food right into the public before they are through testing it, figuring the lot will be safe. :eek: But when something comes up, that's when they do the recalls and the places where the food comes from are inspected.

This is stuff that I'm trying to remember from several months ago, so don't hold me to it...

Daniel

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 07:06 AM
I actually don't find the safety of our food supply shakey (other than we're now putting it in our gas tanks). I am certainly no proponent of big government, but the food safety aspects of the FDA is something that I think they do fairly well. Perfect? Of course not.

Small sampling of food safety issues of the past few years:

Food safety on back burner (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=484fe634aeccbd2c&ei=-6lPSPzXJZ-q9gSI5bXgCQ&url=http%3A//seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004470088_tomsafety11.html&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNENpK0-CGn61eCZaWCeF7YZeS1wEg)

Questions on US Beef Remain: Department officials explained that their testing was only for surveillance, not food safety. (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/6-0&fp=484fe634aeccbd2c&ei=-6lPSPzXJZ-q9gSI5bXgCQ&url=http%3A//www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/asia/11beef.html&cid=1221104784&usg=AFQjCNEgeDD67xXtQ2-xeDy17SmBlh4T1Q)

NJ burger plant recalls over 13000 pounds (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/2-0&fp=484f6a8f730da9a1&ei=eKtPSKqxPIGM8QSRvsiYCg&url=http%3A//www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--meatrecall0609jun09%2C0%2C1832973.story&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNF0kdg3zeB9yP_dUXX_O_eDZTBaYA)

Dutch’s Meats Recalls E. Coli Tainted Meat (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/6-0&fp=484f6a8f730da9a1&ei=eKtPSKqxPIGM8QSRvsiYCg&url=http%3A//www.newsinferno.com/archives/3238&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNHJSpiDy9nbRf_g45BrOKm_n4fMog)


US: Lettuce likely source of outbreak (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/3-0&fp=484fc4ff20e32754&ei=GqxPSPT2L5ru8ATtjZzRBQ&url=http%3A//www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp%3Fid%3D23296&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNHuHfDL2n_6gy3JEAuSUgFex8MTNA)

Lawmaker: Nation's food system is collapsing (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/5-0&fp=484fb85b6aecc142&ei=k6xPSI65A5fw8AT0sdzpCQ&url=http%3A//edition.cnn.com/2008/US/05/14/meat.safety/&cid=1212827311&usg=AFQjCNGcR63R8ky93KYtKGMnllxHNHSAlA)

recall of over 143 million pounds of ground beef in February 2008 (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=484f738c6b340533&ei=A61PSIKgIYGM8QTg19zaCg&url=http%3A//www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do%3Fid%3D855423&cid=1212406633&usg=AFQjCNGO3syRsz-g2ETQymo7tvzVBxvHbw)

Macaroni Salad: Listeria, E. Coli Prompt Food Recalls (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/2-0&fp=484f7c5e8e6ad3af&ei=jq1PSJqQD5Tw8AScnbmCCQ&url=http%3A//www.newsinferno.com/archives/3177&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNFD1jkr3penFECrMc9lw36TiqjRkw)

USDA Issues Health Alert for 800 Pounds of Ground Beef; Notice ... (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-1&fp=484fd625a31ca8d8&ei=U65PSL6sIIzs8wSTuZHOCA&url=http%3A//www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp%3FaId%3D66184&cid=1215052076&usg=AFQjCNHAwo81YVrO8zo0QUY2RNf5m0VQow)

antifreeze in toothpaste (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=484f70dbccc5ccc1&ei=3q5PSKvvKpfw8AT0sdzpCQ&url=http%3A//www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/05/25/outsourcing-global-safety-oped-outsourcing08-cx_bwh_0529safety.html&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNHTDOFsEB50HABK5kwkusNgfJa4iA)

catfish tainted with illegal veterinary drugs (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=484f70dbccc5ccc1&ei=3q5PSKvvKpfw8AT0sdzpCQ&url=http%3A//www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-w-gerard/stop-the-toxic-trade-prof_b_103630.html&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNGW6Nn6oIVRx5OBk2Kh-yjiYEHuEg)


ConAgra recalls its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which was eventually linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/3-0&fp=484ffb32341d964d&ei=Mq9PSNCUI46I8ATXl-iuAQ&url=http%3A//money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/3f1a93b100c0704cf9314832ae5eb671.htm&cid=1221140475&usg=AFQjCNGnvDbMvFMdpT_WOYAUZ3lmGjfeNQ)

Two years ago, an outbreak of E. coli in spinach killed three people, sickened hundreds and led to an unprecedented nationwide recall of bagged spinach ... (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=484fd98a78171fae&ei=dK9PSIaVG6qM8QShzuCOCg&url=http%3A//www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp%3Fid%3D23296&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNHuHfDL2n_6gy3JEAuSUgFex8MTNA)

http://www.snpnet.com/morethantalk/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/head-in-sand.jpg

For those of you who stockpile pet food:

Purina recalls two lamb feed products (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=484fb85b6aecc142&ei=k6xPSI65A5fw8AT0sdzpCQ&url=http%3A//www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/06/10/Purina_recalls_two_lamb_feed_products/UPI-68431213107297/&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNGbyPZqoKBBlbtVKURz0F3EX9Qy5Q)

The dog and cat foods contained melamine-tainted wheat gluten that, if ingested, could cause kidney failure and death. (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/4-0&fp=484f511bab3a7567&ei=6a9PSOHFNp-q9gSx-sWWCg&url=http%3A//www.nwanews.com/adg/Business/226671/&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNFok3TqBfTP9JNBzV7F21mdVUc2Ew)

Yep: All is well.

http://www.giftsforhimorher.com/i/34513.jpg

Rick
06-11-2008, 07:28 AM
You're looking at the glass half empty. Why do you think all those recalls occurred? I don't think any of us disagree that improvements can and should be made. No argument on that at all. Years past that food would have gone through undetected and folks would have just gotten sick. At least today a lot of it is being recalled before it gets to the consumer (me!).

Don't expect the proposed farm bill do help in that regard, either. But I'm with Daniel on his comment:


I would trust food from the US quite a bit more than most other countries.

Riverrat
06-11-2008, 07:37 AM
It is usually after people or pets get sick you see the re-call.

Rick
06-11-2008, 07:45 AM
Still no argument. Better tracking, better communications, better testing, etc. etc.

Still, in years past there would be no recall. I guess that's my point. It's easy to blame FDA but it's really deeper than that. It's about budgets and employees and training. How much regulation do you want and how many inspectors do you want to pay for? And not to delve off into politics but even worse:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/06/10/fda-budget-swells-as-administration-bows-to-congress/

That's the stuff that sticks in my craw. 12:00 Noon, January 20, 2009 can't come soon enough in my book.

bulrush
06-11-2008, 07:54 AM
Update: tommy toes from California and Florida seem to be safe per FDA testing results.

Also heard yesterday that a former deputy director from the FDA said the FDA is woefully understaffed and simply is unable to keep the food safe because they don't have enough personnel. And in the past 10 years I saw a news program about how the FDA inspectors at one plant were being paid off to not inspect the beef. An isolated incident? See article links above.

But I also agree that food is safER in the US than in other countries, especially Mexico or anything south of Mexico. In Mexico it is legal to use extremely high doses of pesticides, then this food gets shipped to the US. In another news show I saw, the reporter had many foods tested. All the foods that came from latino countries had unsafe levels of pesticides in or on them. And many of these levels violated US safety guidelines (again showing the FDA cannot do the job we pay them for). All foods that came from the US had safe levels of pesticides. I believe they tested fruits and veggies only.

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 07:56 AM
I agree with trusting U.S. produced foods... but... how do you know what is U.S. produced vs. imported? Produce is sometimes marked sometimes not. Many packaged foods are comprised of stuff from China and other places (see wheat gluten) and it is not labeled. The cooking and packaging may be taking place in the U.S. but you have no idea where any of the ingredients originate.

I don't agree that the apparent increase in food safety recalls is a function of improved FDA performance. I don't think there is any objective evidence to support that. Do you remember the tylenol scare (70s I think)? That was a big deal. I know it was intentional tampering but it is similar, nonetheless, to all the food and drug safety issues we see today. When the tylenol thing happened, people were freaked out by it.

The masses seem a bit desensitized to tainted foods - it is just a minor and temporary inconvenience. Right? Related note: Most are blissfully unaware of the junk that goes into packaged foods, meat, milk, etc. HFCS, hormones, preservatives, dyes... Hey! Pass me that bottle of artificially flavored, artificially colored bottle of high fructose corn syrup - uh, I mean maple syrup - for my wheat gluten cakes - uh, I mean pancakes.

I just don't agree with the position of: "Well, at least they told me before I got sick or died."

Sometimes, the glass really is half empty.

Rick
06-11-2008, 08:02 AM
I didn't say FDA had improved performance. You won't find that anywhere in my post. I said they were understaffed and underfunded as the link points out. But I do think the recalls point to better vigilance on the part of health resources (health departments, CDC, etc.) in tracking and identifying.

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 08:08 AM
... Better tracking, better communications, better testing, etc. etc... Still, in years past there would be no recall...

I translated / shortened those statement into "improved performance." How would you better paraphrase those comments? Seems to me like I was spot on.

Rick
06-11-2008, 08:11 AM
I don't need to paraphrase anything. I said what I said. If you think you were spot on that's fine with me.

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 08:25 AM
Hey - I'm a bit argumentative today.

RSL: Moving up!

Doesn't really matter if I misinterpreted or not. This is an interesting and I think important discussion.

I'm not convinced that the increase in food safety issues is a result of: "Better tracking, better communications, better testing..."

I find it a bit surreal that I seem to be in the minority on this.

I yam what I yam!

Rick
06-11-2008, 08:32 AM
There's actually a very good reason for it. Adventure Doc can probably chime in here. Salmonella, e. Coli and some of the other trouble makers now have to be reported to health departments (county, city, whatever). The health department can then track and pinpoint the cause of the outbreak (restaurant, grocery, etc.). That in turn can find the source of the disease (tomatoes, meat, lettuce) and that can be traced to the producer. All very much after the fact but all very much better than what happened in years past.

I also think the FDA does a decent job, given its constraints, in stopping a lot of contaminated food from reaching us.

Beo
06-11-2008, 08:40 AM
Time to start growing your own... food that is.

crashdive123
06-11-2008, 10:35 AM
Teotwawki - My head is not in the sand, nor am I blind, deaf and dumb to the problems. As I said "fairly well". I don't want to live in a nanny state where we're told or taxed to change our eating behaviors. I do want information so that I can make decisions about my choices. I've been to several countries where the fields are irrigated with benjo ditches - kind of glad we don't have that here. I don't know the answer to this, but I wonder how many cases of "bad food" were prevented from entering our food supply?

Beo
06-11-2008, 11:01 AM
Everything is supposedly bad for you, makes you sick, or will shorten your life if not kill you. Makes me wonder how they did it in the early days, plus I say fook'em, I eat what I want and where I want, but I do excercise (only cause of my job believe you me) so what happens will happen.

Rick
06-11-2008, 11:04 AM
My wife has sort of outlined what will shorten my life or kill me. There are some lines I just don't cross.

buttercup
06-11-2008, 11:37 AM
Hey - I'm a bit argumentative today.

RSL: Moving up!

Doesn't really matter if I misinterpreted or not. This is an interesting and I think important discussion.

I'm not convinced that the increase in food safety issues is a result of: "Better tracking, better communications, better testing..."

I find it a bit surreal that I seem to be in the minority on this.

I yam what I yam!


I don't know if we are in the minority but I agree with you as far as food safety. There may be better tracking etc so we hear about bad food that we might not have before but I also believe there may be more cases of problems with tainted food happening than in the past.

I feel safer, and know I eat heathier, the more food supply I can be responsible for and the less I bring in from outside sources.

Even if the food is 'safe' according to the FDA, if contains additives or chemicals that I do not want to eat or feed my family, then I don't want it.

For instance - I refuse (REFUSE) to buy chicken at the grocery. When the package is open, if you slide your hand on the poultry, it is slick or feels sort of slimey. I grow and butcher my own. Yet, the chicken in the market is accepted as safe and sold with FDA approval, I'm sure, and that lots of the general public buy and eat them with no problems.

Some would consider me toooooo picky .............
maybe I am...............but as you say TEOTWAWKI, - I yam what I yam . . . :)

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 11:43 AM
I don't know the answer to this, but I wonder how many cases of "bad food" were prevented from entering our food supply?

That is a good question!

Rick
06-11-2008, 12:26 PM
It's all in the public domain:

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.HTML

Teotwawki
06-11-2008, 03:42 PM
It's all in the public domain:

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.HTML

I took a look at the list - they are all post distribution recalls.

Rick
06-11-2008, 03:47 PM
Hmmm. I guess by definition a recall WOULD be post distribution wouldn't it?

Riverrat
06-11-2008, 03:51 PM
If it is anything like Canada, you never know where it comes from. Food marked Made in Canada just has to have one step in the process done in Canada, the rest can be done any place. Is this the same in the U.S.?

nell67
06-11-2008, 04:21 PM
Hmmm. I guess by definition a recall WOULD be post distribution wouldn't it?

Now,see,here is a reason NOT to dumpster dive from a food establishment,because a recall on food products already in the store usually means to dump it in the dumpster,they don't come and take it back,we can however refuse any further shipments,we meet them at the truck,and they are not even allowed to unload them.