Fruits, Veggies and Salmonella
On The Importance Of Washing
The good news: More of us are eating our vegetables. But this healthy trend comes with a risk - illnesses traced to fresh produce are on the rise. Salmonella cases reported to the Lee County Health Department rose from 173 for all of 2004 to over 230 this year. By far, those affected are children one to four years of age.
When we think “food poisoning” we’re often referring to salmonella, although other harmful bacteria may cause the same symptoms. Salmonella refers to a group of bacteria that cause illness by reproducing in the digestive tract. Although rarely fatal, the unpleasantness of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and headache usually accompany the infection.
Often we blame the restaurant we recently dined at for visiting this affliction upon us. But, “No more than twenty percent of food illness complaints we receive turn out to be the fault of a restaurant – the initially suspected cause. Upon examination, the overwhelming majority can be traced to the home.” So reports Robert South, Ph.D., epidemiologist at the Lee County Health Department.
Hamburger meat and
chicken have become infamous as carriers of food-borne illnesses, but
fruits and vegetables are now responsible for more large-scale outbreaks
of food-borne illnesses than meat, poultry or eggs.
Last year, a Florida tomato packing house was found to be the common link between three outbreaks of salmonella infection associated with eating Roma tomatoes. The outbreaks caused 561 illnesses in 18 states and in one Canadian province.
Government officials now identify five products that have become especially problematic: tomatoes, melons (especially cantaloupes), lettuce, sprouts and green onions. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article , Dole Food recalled 250,000 bags of pre-cut salads last month after Minnesota buyers were infected with E. coli bacteria, some severe enough to be hospitalized. Two years ago, green onions imported from Mexico caused what is believed to be the largest hepatitis A outbreak in U.S. history. Three people died and more than 500 became ill.
Why this increase in salmonella and other food-borne illnesses?
We import more. Although production in the United States always involves processed fertilizers, imported produce may be grown with raw or unprocessed fertilizers. (Salmonella is passed through the fecal-oral route.). We buy more pre-cut, packaged salads and their ingredients, and vegetables and fruits. Both fertilizer and unsanitary procedures by people become possible causes. We’ve increased distribution centralization. Meats may be shipped in the same carrier as veggies and fruits, or storage temperatures may be incorrect, increasing the risk to the food items.
