Tomatoes May Not Be Only Source of Salmonella Outbreak

[Aera]

MedlinePlus: Tomatoes May Not Be Only Source of Salmonella Outbreak

 

[bowlingshirt]

Here's a statement from that article :


"More than 300 of the total cases from the current outbreak come from Texas. Patient ages range from under 1 year old to 99 years old. Half the victims are women."

Um, shouldn't that be kinda obvious? I suppose if 80% of the victims were women, the stat would have some sort of significance...but half ???

 

[archiduc]

MedlinePlus: Tomatoes May Not Be Only Source of Salmonella Outbreak

Hi Aera,
According to the article and my calculations, based on the USA population in 2007, this put the rate of incidence to 0.0026897%.

IIRC, salmonella is more likely to be a result of poor hygiene and handling standards than inherent to tomatoes. People sneezing or touching their face/nose and then food transmit the micro-organism apart from those occassions where it is natural - such as in poultry.

The answer, when it comes to handling tomatoes is relatively easy. Have ready a bowl of hot water, bring a pan of water to the boil, place tomatoes in the saucepan and in the 15-20 seconds it takes, wash hands in the bowl of hot water using an antibacterial soap/liquid suitable for the kitchen and dry. Use a clean spoon to remove tomatoes, peel and use as you wish. Slice or chop/dice using a board wiped with lemon juice/vinegar.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc