Over 1,000 people have become ill, and US health officials just broadened the list of foods to avoid to include hot peppers and cilantro as well as raw tomatoes. The media instantly ran headlines such as AFP's "Salsa ingredients Suspected as US salmonella outbreak spreads," and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution took to the streets to interview restaurant owners on their plans for a potential salsa outage.
The problem with the anti salsa sentiment can be summed up with this quote from the AJC's own article:"Ninety percent of Mexican restaurants," including his, use canned tomatoes and jalapeños in salsa, and since they are cooked, they are free of bacteria like salmonella, Diaz said. The restaurant will also offer an alternative to guacamole — a sliced avocado with extra virgin olive oil sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper.So we can't blame salsa, but we can avoid fresh versions of salsa ingredients. All of this confusion, and an investigation that started back in May and has yet to produce the source, is becoming frustrating. A writer for the Morning Journal argued:
We need to use available technology, backed up by force of law and regulation, to answer the question "where did this stuff come from?" There is no reason, or room, to allow continuing mystery over where the foods we eat come from and whether they were handled in a sanitary, healthful manner.All of this talk about food safety, as well as criticism from a recent recall involving food served at elementary schools, prompted the USDA to announce a change in recall policy. They will begin releasing the names of retailers who carried meat and poultry listed in Class 1 recalls. From the USDA press release:
"The identity of retail stores with recalled meat and poultry from their suppliers has always been a missing piece of information for the public during a recall," said Schafer. "People want to know if they need to be on the lookout for recalled meat and poultry from their local store and by providing lists of retail outlets during recalls, USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service will improve public health protection by better informing consumers."In other food worries, NPR recently ran an audio story about the Plum Island lab, and how they are potentially seeking a new location- on the main land. Despite a new report saying that just building a new lab on the island would be the safest way to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, NewsDay.com reported that the region's elected officials are still opposed to it.
How worried are you about food safety? Have the recalls affected your business? Answer in the comment section below.
On the lighter side of the news, Salon.com celebrated "Pork Week." They featured articles on the bacon boom and shared news of new bacon products such as bacon salt, bacon candles, and the bacon tuxedo. Even Portland's own Voodoo Doughnut got a nod for their Bacon Maple Bar.
Their Pork Week article series:
Further reading:
The LA Times on the USDA naming of retailers in food recalls.
KOAT on salmonella not scaring people from Mexican food.
CBC News on the hunt for the salmonella outbreak source.
