
We may be once again putting
tomatoes on our plates, but the source of the salmonella outbreak has remained a mystery. The FDA just announced that a possible source of the salmonella outbreak – water. They found strains of salmonella in both
irrigation water and serrano peppers at a Mexican farm in Nuevo Leon.

If you've been avoiding certain tomatoes since this horrific
salmonella outbreak, go ahead and bite into any tomato you want. Since no strain of salmonella Saintpaul was found on any farms that were tested, the
FDA believes that consumers can now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes.
The mystery still stands though as to what caused this outbreak in the first place, which has now sickened 1,220 people in 42 states — the earliest case on April 10 and the latest so far on July 4.

If you've been avoiding tomatoes for fear of getting a
salmonella infection then you're going to have to add serrano and jalapeno peppers, as well as cilantro to your "do not eat" list.
The Chicago Tribune is
reporting that the Food and Drug Administration has begun looking at serrano and jalapeno peppers and cilantro — basically the ingredients used to make salsa — as possible causes of the outbreak. Tomatoes continue to be investigated as well.

There are bound to be barbecues a plenty this Fourth of July weekend. With this
tainted tomato scare, I for one definitely have
salmonella on my mind. I typically associate mayo with food poisoning, since people tend to leave this condiment, and the food it's added to, out for long periods of time.

Now that
over 500 people across the country have become sick from tomatoes contaminated with
salmonella, I'm sure you're all wondering how you can protect yourself from getting sick, so keep these tips in mind:
- When purchasing food, it should look and smell fresh. Anything that's bruised, damaged, discolored, or has a different consistency should be avoided.
- With this tomato problem, it's best to avoid any prepared foods that contain raw tomatoes such as salsa, salads, and guacamole since it's difficult to know for sure if the tomatoes are safe.
- Before handling any food, plates, cutting boards, or utensils, always wash your hands.
- Thoroughly wash all produce (even ones that you peel), under running water.
- Keep raw meats away from your fresh produce. Use separate cutting boards and utensils when preparing the two.