Salmonella outbreak in tomatoes spreads, but most available locally deemed safe

By NORRIS LEDYARD

Enterprise Staff Writer

Forget the health benefits and antioxidants, right now tomatoes could cause illness. However, there have been no cases of salmonella outbreak from tomatoes in Fulton County or the surrounding areas.

To date, there have been over 277 cases of salmonella serotype Saintpaul bacterial infections spread over 28 states. Each case demonstrates the same genetic fingerprint that the bacteria has spread from one area. Given the supply lines and shipping patterns to support fresh produce, it has been very difficult to pinpoint the source.

"Only as the health inspectors have walked into a dining establishment do we discuss tomatoes," said Mike Oricko, Fulton County Health Commissioner. "Given the nature of the outbreak, we are providing awareness and leaving the individual proprietor to make their choice to serve or not to serve fresh tomatoes. We are finding that the operators of food preparation sites in the county are very well informed, their suppliers have been helpful and there has been a wealth of information circulating."

An outbreak is defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as two or more cases of the same disease that share a common exposure. The first case was reported by a doctor in New Mexico on April 23. Texas and New Mexico have seen the majority of the cases.

During this current outbreak, 43 people have been hospitalized. To date, there has been at least one case of salmonella, due to fresh tomatoes, in Ohio. There have been seven cases reported in Indiana and two cases in Michigan. Laboratory testing can take two to three weeks to develop the information needed by the CDC.

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that raw red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes should not be handled nor eaten at all. Neither washing nor cooking the produce will eliminate the bacteria.

Tomatoes grown in Mexico and several U.S. southwestern states have not been cleared as safe to consume.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. It can be especially dangerous to the frail or elderly, the very young and people with impaired immune systems.

Local retailers and restaurants are still taking precautions, though the local supply has been deemed safe.

The Fulton County Senior Center mainly serves produce when it is freshly available locally.

"We really do not serve a lot of fresh produce in the off-season," said Sandy Griggs, Fulton County Senior Services Director. "All food preparation takes place at our Wauseon site. The Archbold, Delta, Fayette, and Swanton locations are served from our kitchen in Wauseon. We try to serve the majority of fresh produce when it is locally fresh and available. Quality, safety and cost are the main reasons. Mostly, we serve canned or frozen produce to meet the one-third of the minimum daily requirements."

Barron's in Swanton has a supplier with tomatoes deemed safe, but it is choosing to err on the side of caution.

"Everyone has been so wonderful as our customers understand," said Rosie Odle, manager of Barron's on Airport Highway, "We have gone without fresh tomatoes since Tuesday (June 10). One of our main suppliers said their supply from Florida was safe. I have seen conflicting information; so, to be as safe as possible, we are not using fresh tomatoes."

The Subway Sandwich and Salad Shop in Wauseon on North Shoop Avenue did have tomatoes available for their customer's sandwich selections.

"We received our tomatoes from California and Florida," said Jody Budd, store manager. "We went without tomatoes from Sunday until Wednesday (June 11). Our owner went through corporate to ensure the quality of our selections. California and Florida are states that have not been part of the supply-chain in which the bacteria has been transmitted."

The impact on Shucker's in Swanton was minimal.

"We went without tomatoes for three days," said Mary Keifer, assistant manager. "We pulled tomatoes that we normally used in our salads. We discovered that the grape tomatoes that we normally used were perfectly good and were not part of the recall. It is always best to be sure that our food is safe for our customers."

During this current outbreak, no amount of washing or cooking can eliminate the bacteria present in raw red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes. Currently, consumers may continue to buy cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and round red tomatoes with the vine still attached.

Home grown tomatoes also do not appear to be involved in the current outbreak. Tomatoes purchased at a farmer's market is hardly a solution, as fresh produce can travel through countless channels without clear means of identification.

For the most up to date information, you may access www.foodsafety.gov.