Deemed the worse food-borne contamination in the past decade, the count of those inflicted with the rare Saintpaul salmonella strain continues to mount, as does the types of produce affected.
Jalapenos, serrano peppers and cilantro join Roma, plum and red round tomatoes as produce of which to be cautious. This combination of these ingredients would usually make a wonderful salsa or salad, but the CDC’s investigations prove otherwise.
“At this time, FDA is advising U.S. consumers to limit their tomato consumption to specific types and specific sources… Consumers should be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in many other dishes.”
Under the climate of contamination, it would make sense for consumers to be suspect of Tex-Mex cuisine, but it doesn’t seem to be the case, yet.
And apprehensions of drops in business have not seized business owners either, as the Dallas Morning News reported last week, restaurateurs are optimistic, vigilant in serving only the safest ingredients.
“We depend a lot on the purveyors to make sure we get our produce from an FDA-approved source,” Mr. Martinez, owner of Matt’s Rancho Martinez in Dallas, told the publication.
With 1065 cases reported nationwide since April, if salsa cravings can’t be restrained, and abstinence isn’t a possibility, circumspection better be in the plans.
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