a tale of two tomatoes

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A Tale of Two Tomatoes: How Bacteria Travels Through the Food Supply

Salmonella is not a bacteria you would expect to find on a tomato. They are a group of bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds and reptiles. But during the past decade, fresh and fresh-cut tomatoes have been linked to more than a dozen different Salmonella outbreaks and nearly 2,000 confirmed cases of food-borne illness in the United States.

Contamination with human or animal feces can occur as the result of physical contact with runoff water near feedlots, overflowing manure lagoons, contaminated irrigation water containing raw sewage, improperly treated effluents from sewage treatment plants or inadequate farm worker toilet and sanitation facilities.

What's more, during processing in order to help keep the fruit "fresh," hot tomatoes are placed in large vats of cool water, which can cause the water to get sucked inside the tomatoes. If that water is contaminated with Salmonella, many tomatoes can become contaminated, and routine washing at home will not effectively remove the internalized bacteria.

When food production of this kind occurs on a handful of farms and facilities, and then serves the entire nation, it creates potential widespread public health risk. Smaller, more localized production and processing systems are less costly, far easier to trace and have less widespread consequences.

The latest food safety fiasco boils down to two choices. One tomato is available year-round, harvested by unfamiliar hands (or machines) and passed through multiple potential contamination points before reaching consumers. The second, is a local, organic tomato carrying a bounty of nutrients that only develop on the vine. It requires patience, but some things are simply worth waiting for.

Sources:

Rodale Institute June 19, 2008