oh did we say tomatoes? we meant jalapenos...

Quote :

"After causing the tomato industry to lose an estimated $100 million, health investigators have essentially recanted their contaminated tomato theory and have refocused their attention on jalapeño peppers. The Baltimore Sun reports that new interviews with salmonella victims have revealed that many of them had eaten salsa containing jalepeños. Other common Mexican food ingredients such as cilantro are also being investigated, however, no new samples have tested positive for salmonella. Details, inside... The article says, The outbreak, which began 12 weeks ago, is believed to be the largest of its kind, and new cases continue to emerge. It has sickened more than 920 people across the country, up from 756 one week ago, and sent more than 110 to the hospital. In Maryland, 29 people have been confirmed to have the illness, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and, in severe cases, death. In late May, investigators began focusing on tomatoes as the probable source of the outbreak. But they expanded their investigation last week, asking 100 labs around the country to help, because the number of new infections kept growing despite the short shelf life of tomatoes and warnings to avoid certain varieties. Delays in pinpointing the cause of the outbreak have frustrated consumers, angered the produce industry and prompted members of Congress to call for food safety reforms. "How sad is that? We can't even really figure out what it is," said Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat who has proposed food tracking and mandatory recall measures. "We've had the same problem with other products in past years, which shows us the food safety system in this country is outdated and underfunded." Chile peppers are largely grown in Mexico, Central America and warm weather U.S. states such as Florida. Food-safety specialists said jalapenos are not a common cause of bacterial outbreaks and counseled caution about rushing to judgment that the peppers are responsible for this one. Contaminated green chile peppers in Colorado sickened 80 people in 1998 and 60 in 2001, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which tracks food-borne illnesses. Neither outbreak involved salmonella bacteria. A likely source of jalepeno contamination is the water used to irrigate plants or wash peppers after they're picked, said Robert B. Gravani, a food science professor at Cornell University. "

7/7/2008 9:09:31 AM

what's my likelihood of dying from salmonella?

i really like jalapenos but i could give a fuck less about tomatoes

[Edited on July 7, 2008 at 9:13 AM. Reason : i mean if it's just going to make me shit a lot, jalapenos already do that to me...]

7/7/2008 9:12:58 AM

I bet it's the cilantro. I always knew that stuff was evil.

7/7/2008 9:19:07 AM

This is awesome, I just ate jalapenos in Maryland.

7/7/2008 9:36:30 AM

i have eaten jalapenos roughly a dozen times in the past month. so this is goodbye.

7/7/2008 9:38:57 AM

Do canned jalapenos count?

7/7/2008 9:44:38 AM

that's fucked up for the tomato farmers who lost $texas

7/7/2008 9:57:50 AM

well shit

7/7/2008 10:07:30 AM

i eat jalapenos almost daily. not to mention my stomach has felt like shit since the other night. oh noes!!

/paranoia.

7/7/2008 10:17:33 AM

i would say the government owes the farmers big time

but, you know....

7/7/2008 10:22:26 AM