Attack of the Tainted Tomatoes
SPLAT!
Overripe, under ripe or just right, tomatoes can make you as sick as a dog.
I speak from experience. Last week my husband was apparently the target of a salmonella tainted tomato like more than 500 people in the United States this summer. The encounter made him a “frequent flyer” to the loo in the middle of the night. This sudden “jump and run” form of exercise did nothing for his overall fitness although he lost six pounds from dehydration. (I don’t recommend salmonella food poisoning for anyone trying to lose weight).
I lost a lot of sleep. And, after reading that salmonella can be passed from human to human, I kept a polite distance for the rest of the week although I monitored his temperature and bought a seemingly endless supply of over the counter nausea and diarrhea medicines in hopes they would end his misery.
How was my husband infected? All I know is, after eating a tomato he came down with salmonella symptoms in less than 24 hours. We don’t have birds, pet turtles, reptiles or snakes - common carriers of salmonella food poisoning. We have a lone cat – “Miss Kitty”- who likes it that way.
But back to salmonella - have you ever seen what these bacteria look like? Invaders from outer space, that’s what – odd, rod-like bacteria that dig into the gut where they cause misery for up to seven days.
Unfortunately, these bacteria can kill. One strain causes typhoid fever that is fatal in 10% of the cases. For the elderly, the young and people with depressed immune systems, salmonella in any of its iterations can be fatal. Sufferers have also been known to develop chronic arthritis two to three weeks after their intestinal symptoms cease.
Tomatoes are the latest culprits in cases of salmonella poisoning nationwide. But the Food and Drug Administration says such outbreaks are becoming more frequent in the U.S. although scientists aren’t sure why. The best way to avoid salmonella is to thoroughly cook all foods, wash hands frequently in the kitchen and after using the bathroom. These nasty bacteria can lurk in packs of chicken parts from the grocery store, eggs, beef, pork, raw seafood, even peanut butter. They also live in water, soil, insects, slaughterhouses, animal feces and kitchen surfaces and to name a few places they hang out.
People with symptoms of salmonella food poisoning should see a doctor and ask for a test to determine if it’s the cause of their illness. Food poisoning lawyer Mitch Ginsburg says, most doctors don’t routinely test for these bacteria. Given their deadly potential, it’s best to ask.
As for my husband, “Mighty Man” is back to normal. But he’s eyeing tomatoes with more respect these days.
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Comments
Leave it to the FDA to allow another in a long line of tainted food products into the food chain. Bravo, FDA! Thanks for another encore! Can we start throwing rotten tomatoes at our elected officials yet?
While politicians spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the November campaign, only time will tell if the next president will be able to stop the tide of poisons being fed to our kids.
Today its tomatos, yesterday it was peanut butter, Taco Bell tacos, Jack-in-the-Box burgers and poison paint on toys manufactured in China. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget how many of our pets died because of the FDA’s failure to stop poison dog food from reaching the store shelves!
What next, hotdogs with an acceptable percentage of roach droppings? Oh wait, the FDA already allows for that!
It is time for Americans to take a stand and force the FDA to clamp down on the corporate profiteers who are poisoning our families!
Man, this Tomato issue is freaking me out. I live in El Paso and one of my friends was sick vomiting for 3 days. I thought he was going to die. anyways, he swears he got sick from a burger he ate with extra tomatoes. My friend loves tomatoes.
I told him to quit eating them red vegetables till they were safe… anyways, thanks for the heads up!