Tomato Trouble

(Newser) - Jalapeno peppers have pushed tomatoes off the top of the FDA's suspect list in the recent salmonella outbreak, reports the Wall Street Journal . Investigators believe salsa may be the culprit in the rash of illnesses, and after a drop in tomato consumption failed to halt a rise in cases, they switched focus to other ingredients—especially peppers. The agency says tomatoes aren't in the clear yet, but the hunt is on for tainted jalapenos. More »

(Newser) - With the summer picnic season heating up, Mark "The Minimalist" Bittman of the New York Times checks in with his semiannual list of quick, easy dishes. He calls for fewer tomatoes than you might expect, and many, many lemons. Some high points: "Take cold pizza and lemon. Squeeze lemon over pizza. Really." More »

(AP) - As salmonella cases continue to climb, the government is checking to see whether tainted tomatoes are in fact to blame for the record outbreak, the AP reports. Federal officials say the problem may be with another ingredient or with a warehouse contaminating newly harvested tomatoes.The widening outbreak, with 810 people confirmed ill, means whatever is making people sick could still be on the market. More »

(AP) - Federal health officials have learned of 106 more cases of salmonella linked to tainted tomatoes, putting the outbreak's total to 383 and counting. Most of this newest influx of cases were people who got sick weeks ago but had not been counted previously. Some states began doing closer checking for salmonella as the outbreak has dragged on. The last known sickness occurred on June 5. More »

(Newser) - Two months after salmonella-tainted tomatoes entered the food supply, the FDA has still not tracked down the source. Blame the label-free tomato with no bar codes to help investigators, reports AP. The FDA has had to rely on the fickle memories of victims, who are having trouble recalling if they ate the plum, roma or round variety. More »

(Newser) - Salmonella-tainted tomatoes that sickened 228 people in 28 states may be a boon to the local-food movement, but Newsweek takes a look at whether "locavores" should be so smug. Equating smaller farms with safer practices—and long-distance shipping with more time for bacteria to infect food—more produce-lovers are turning to farmers’ markets. Sales rose almost 20 percent in recent years, but scientists warn that local doesn’t guarantee safe, and mistakes can be made at any size—or distance. More »

(Newser) - Food-safety experts continue to scratch their heads over the recent salmonella outbreak in tomatoes—and Barry Estabrook, in Gourmet , is peeved that he can't get any explanation on how the intestinal bacteria actually gets inside. One expert from a produce trade group speculates that contaminants enter through cuts in the fruit’s skin as it spends months ripening on the vine. More »

(Newser) - Forget museums and street markets. To truly understand a culture, travelers should take in its bizarre traditions. From fire walking to tomato hurling, Travel and Leisure looks at the world's most off-the-wall celebrations. Lopburi Monkey Buffet in Thailand: Each November, Lopburi's residents lay out a feast to appease the city's greedy monkeys. More »

(Newser) - On the heels of a tomato scare, US consumers need to look closely at the risks and ever-rising costs of the global network that supplies produce no matter the season, Tim Rutten writes in the Los Angeles Times . "When one packer's tainted produce goes to three or four countries, what would have been a local problem becomes an international one," he notes. More »