Jalapeños Probed in Outbreak

Jalapeños Probed in Outbreak

online.wsj.com

WASHINGTON -- Officials investigating the salmonella outbreak now are looking at jalapeño peppers as a leading suspect for spreading the bacteria that has sickened hundreds across the U.S. over the past three months, according to people familiar with the probe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially blamed tomatoes. That led to industry losses of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the National Restaurant Association, as consumers cut down on consumption and restaurants pulled them from menus.

But as the disease continued to spread, the investigation turned to other foods commonly eaten with tomatoes, in particular to other ingredients used to make salsa. Besides jalapeño peppers, officials are looking at cilantro and Serrano peppers.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.upi.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
FDA Unclear if Tomatoes are the Source of Salmonella Outbreak (GMO Anyone?)
www.abovetopsecret.com...
US Salmonella Scare halts Mexican tomato exports; floods mexico with tomoatoes

Now the focus has switched to other potential culprits to the ongoing out break of salmonella here in the US.

I wonder how devastating the initial assessment that it was tomoatoes, has hurt the farmers?

Will the peppers be the cause? I understand the need to try and locate the source, but false alarms would appear to be costing farmers a significant amount of money.

Better check out the ingredients in fresh salsa, if you are a grower, be forewarned, the FDA may target your crop next should the peppers yield another false alarm.

What's next? onions?



online.wsj.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Please, not my peppers. It's a dirty rotten conspiracy to lower the number of poor people by taking away the true ingredient for "Poor Man's Viagra".

(No, I have no Spanish heritage, I just like hot peppers and good Texmex cooking.)

Seriously, it would be nice if they could get their act together before they drive farmers crazy.

I understand that they have to figure out what is behind this to ensure safety, but the false alarms end up hurting a lot of people too. I still have people that are coming into the restaurant and gasping when they see tomatoes on their salad.

As I told one of them, "you have been coming in here for years, we haven't been able to get rid of you yet, I somehow doubt that a tomato is going to do the trick."

I literally just came in from checking on my garden and was trying to figure out what plants I wanted to use to fill in some gaps. My question is answered, I am going to buy pepper plants and that way I can just ignore this latest scare.

How can they tell?
After 3 bowlfuls I get violent stomach cramps and have to wear flameproof y fronts anyway? so what's the difference?

It seems to me another case of clutching at straws after the tomato fiasco.

My question is answered, I am going to buy pepper plants and that way I can just ignore this latest scare.

Go for it. And when harvest time comes don't forget to make a few jalapeno poppers. I planted a few extra this year, and after having read this article, I have to wonder if it weren't due more to a premonition than just simply wanting more jalapeno hawtness for my fave South of the Border dishes and cuisine.

Awhile back, like maybe 8 years I remember a News show, Might have been on 60 minutes or one of those type shows where they showed farmers in Mexico spraying the fields with sewage from the Mexico city to fertilize the land. Thing was, you usualy do this BEFORE the planting. They where doing it when the plants where starting to fruit with vegies. I almost hurled while watching it. Since then I wash all vegtables and fruits with soap and water and rinse well before I eat them or cook with them. Japan has done this for centuries, but they do it correctly. In the fall and let it fallow and plow it under to enrich the soil.

Zindo

I just found another piece on the situation, it put's the figure at $100M lost in the tomato scare and leaders of the industry are pushing for congressional investigation on this matter.

It's bad enough that the farmers have to deal with mother nature, (ie midwest farmers this year), it's another thing when their work and reputation are damaged by an agency of the government by a mistake?.

Where's their relief?

Are jalapeno peppers behind salmonella outbreak?


would not confirm or deny that jalapeño peppers are a top suspect.

CDC officials have said tomatoes no longer are the leading suspect, though.

Tomato farmers, packers and shippers fear it could take months to rebuild the $1.3 billion market for fresh tomatoes.

reply to post by NGC2736

I feel your pain.... Take away 99% of known vegetables...But please leave the Peppers... Oh yah Brussels sprouts too. Double cheese Whole Wheat Pizza with Garlic, Mushrooms,Red,Green,and Jalapeno Peppers.....

Can someone say WILD GOOSE CHASE?

Now added, serrano peppers and cilantro and the focus is on Mexico,

[sarcasm]Why? Because they THINK that the outbreak derives from fresh Mexican restaurant salsa, since a majority of victims are from Texas and Texans love the mexican food[/sarcasm]

Unbelievable... keystone kops ring a bell?

www.bloomberg.com

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is increasing its testing of foods and herbs traditionally used in Mexican cooking as it seeks the source of a salmonella outbreak that has hospitalized 130 people.

``We are not shutting down our borders'' to those products, said agency spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek today. ``We are stepping up our testing of products grown domestically and from Mexico.'' An earlier report by CNN said the U.S. would ban imports of some foods from Mexico.

Like i said a month ago when this broke.

"This is just another Gift from our friends, south of the Boarder."

Sure, it took the FDA a month to figure it out, Blaming farmers all across America, Slowly, each AMERICAN farm was cleared, and Mexico was always, "that other option"...



Now all the options have run to dead ends...

This is what happens with 'free trade'. Our country is free to experience all the horrible 3rd world dessieases that come with free trade.

What happen to this country? What happen to the USDA, our country was known WORLD WIDE for having the Cleanest food and drugs in the world. Now, we import more deseasise thru food from 3rd world nations, then anyother.


We need to stop importing food for dirty 3rd world nations. We need to get the Illigals out of here, so they stop posining our food supply here at home.


How many people must get sick or die from bad food before we do something about it.

Over the last few years, we have had a dozen or so food scares... and in the Decades before... barely a thing... but now, we import our food from 3rd world hell-holes, and our food supply in California, is picked by illigal immigrants, LARGLY here from 3rd world hell-holes...


If we want better, and cleaner food, we MUST STOP OUR RELIANCE ON THESE PEOPLE.


Either that, or all go on the atkins diet...

Originally posted by TKainZero
What happen to this country? What happen to the USDA, our country was known WORLD WIDE for having the Cleanest food and drugs in the world. Now, we import more deseasise thru food from 3rd world nations, then anyother.


We need to stop importing food for dirty 3rd world nations. We need to get the Illigals out of here, so they stop posining our food supply here at home.


How many people must get sick or die from bad food before we do something about it.

Over the last few years, we have had a dozen or so food scares... and in the Decades before... barely a thing... but now, we import our food from 3rd world hell-holes, and our food supply in California, is picked by illigal immigrants, LARGLY here from 3rd world hell-holes...


If we want better, and cleaner food, we MUST STOP OUR RELIANCE ON THESE PEOPLE.

HAHA, this forum is about denying ignorance yet, you say third world countries. And illegals?! Seriously, I feel that some of the people on here are no better than the people they call sheep. I guess you didn't know that euthanized animals, returned free of disease or strays from animal shelters were/are fed to cows. This meat then ends up in our burgers etc etc. I also hope you realize how difficult of a job it is to pick vegetables and fruits here in California. I have seen the workers out early and working through the strongest heat of the day and with no breaks. You really should be thankful for the work they do. Otherwise, if for some reason, "citizens" decided to pick it, it would be almost unaffordable.

Originally posted by rickrollz

HAHA, this forum is about denying ignorance yet, you say third world countries. And illegals?! Seriously

Are you asserting that there is no such thing as illigal alliens in this country? Or does the word illigal just offend you?

Also, are you asserting tht all countries are equal? And that there is no such thing as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world countries?

By that, are you saying that The United States of America is equal to Zimbabwae? Or Mexico? Or Venezuela? Or Syria? Or Lybia? Or the Phillipines? That each and every one of those countries are equal, and have the same living conditions???

You really should be thankful for the work they do. Otherwise, if for some reason, "citizens" decided to pick it, it would be almost unaffordable.

Realy, so, in the HUNDREDS of yers before we had a rampent illigal allien problem here in the states, what we just didnt grow food? Cause we tthought it would be too expensive?

Or are you going to just dismiss hundreds of years of fact, because its in the way of what your teachers are saying? Cause they tell you, "We Need the illigals" on NPR, you belive it... i have family in the california farming business, a farm that goes back a few generations, AND ONLY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, did it become the status quo to speak spanish in the feilds...

You Know what heppen, back in the day, before Sen. kennedy made his first attempt to destroy the US boarders. You know who picked the fruit? We did, college students, high school students, or just other hard working americans... its only in the last 20 years that we have eliminated the American workers, and bring in the filth from the south...

And jsut so you know, there are STILL farms out there that grow and pick thier own food, without catering to the illigals... i bought some strawberries from them this mourning. A wonderful farm, been in bussness for 120+ years...

Im sorry if i offended you, you seem like the type to take offense easy... your probaly a smart person, you mabye have a powerful job, judgeing from you only post i read, you seem to be like the people on the San Fransicko Board of Stuipdvisors, changing the name of 'Illigal Fireworks' To 'undocumented fireworks', just so you dont offend the illigals that are here... very compastionate...

i understand this is just your first days here, and you are still in the embreo stage of an ATS member...

reply to post by ZindoDoone


I never understood why, for all my life, and it goes back years, I was told when visiting Mexico never eat fresh produce grown there or drink water there, but suddenly it became ok to eat fresh produce shipped to USA from there.

Originally posted by TKainZero

Also, are you asserting tht all countries are equal? And that there is no such thing as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world countries?

No, they do not have the same living conditions, however stating that they are first, second and third world countries is almost like saying that they are not as civilized as the rest. We all know the difference between the first place and the third. First being superior to the rest. I believe the United States has done some atrocious acts on domestic and foreign soil. Yet it is still a first world country? I thought third world countries were supposed to be savages!

Realy, so, in the HUNDREDS of yers before we had a rampent illigal allien problem here in the states, what we just didnt grow food? Cause we tthought it would be too expensive?

I didn't know slaves were considered citizens that had any sort of benefits or rights.

You Know what heppen, back in the day, before Sen. kennedy made his first attempt to destroy the US boarders. You know who picked the fruit? We did, college students, high school students, or just other hard working americans... its only in the last 20 years that we have eliminated the American workers, and bring in the filth from the south...

In the last twenty years? What about the people the United States brought in in the thirties and forties? I think they must have slipped from your mind.
And no it was not just "the filth from the south," prior to that was the people of Asia who had to work the fields, which were here before the 1850's while being mistreated as well.

And jsut so you know, there are STILL farms out there that grow and pick thier own food, without catering to the illigals... i bought some strawberries from them this mourning. A wonderful farm, been in bussness for 120+ years...

Oh I don't recall saying that every single farm out there is using imported labor.

...San Fransicko Board of Stuipdvisors, changing the name of 'Illigal Fireworks' To 'undocumented fireworks', just so you dont offend the illigals that are here... very compastionate...

Just to add, since the "southern filth" is ruining your way of life, consider all the immigrants in Mexico that are not treated in the same way that you treat immigrants here. In fact what about all the northern filth that ends up in Mexico? I'm sure after this fourth of July there was a lot of drunks causing mayhem down in Tijuana. Regardless of law, people need to at least be treated equally, regardless of their country of origin. Coming from Spain or France should not warrant better treatment than a person from Belize or Peru.

To some of the other posters, don't you think that if the food really is bad that a lot of the population would be sick? If you are going to go out and attack one specific ethnicity, just go out and say it. There is a lot of food that is imported from Latin America. Also, the US is destroying some of the farmers business in Mexico they are exporting their GM corn to Mexico, but you only seem to see one side of the picture.

I think that before you go out of your way and attack me, I think you may want to learn how to spell stupid yourself, in fact before trying to say I am stupid go learn to spell in general.

Mexico's response ws rather quick..

This Reuters piece also states that US Inspectors are in Mexico testing some tomatoes from the region.

Mexico says no signs of salmonella in any produce

MEXICO CITY, July 6 (Reuters) - Mexico said on Sunday there was no evidence that a salmonella outbreak in the United States came from Mexican produce, amid reports U.S. officials will probe jalapeno peppers grown south of the border.

"In Mexico there has been no salmonella outbreak in recent months, and definitely not of the type (of salmonella) being seen in the United States," Mexican agriculture ministry spokesman Marco Antonio Sifuentes told Reuters.

Sifuentes said Mexico has not been told of any U.S. plans to expand a probe into Mexican produce beginning on Monday, which was reported by CNN on Thursday. "Nobody has told us anything," Sifuentes said.

Interestingly enough now scallions and bulb onions have been added to the list.

Originally posted by rickrollz
...if for some reason, "citizens" decided to pick it, it would be almost unaffordable.

Really?! So how did people afford food before the illegals became such a problem here?

I'd pick lettuce and tomatoes and fruit if I was paid the equivalent of $50-$100 an hour too! (Assuming the peso to dollar is still 10-1).

This is really getting out of hand.

In discussions with friends here at home, the consensus is that the Mexican pickers are to blame.
It's an accepted theory that they relieve themselves in the fields. Both kinds of relieving themselves. The nickel a day that these poor people make demands that they not stop picking..for anything!
That's where the E-coli is coming from.
The scary thing is that washing you're veggies is not working as well as it used to.
Stay away from Mexican grown foods!!!

I guess that our government now has a reason to invade Mexico and get this Amero thing going!!!

Originally posted by desert
I never understood why, for all my life, and it goes back years, I was told when visiting Mexico never eat fresh produce grown there or drink water there, but suddenly it became ok to eat fresh produce shipped to USA from there.

I have a better one for you. How many times has that "don't drink the water ANYWHERE in Mexico" been hammered into traveler's heads? Us local kids were rolling when they had freshman orientation for NMSU and were stressing to the out of state kids "If you go down into Mexico for a fun weekend and drink the water, you will die!" Anyway, if you're ever in New Mexico or West Texas in a restaurant and you order a bottle of Coke or any soda and it tastes sweeter than usual, congratulations, you've just consumed a product made with Mexican water! It never bothered me at all, probably because I built up a local immunity to it, but my relatives from outside the region would visit and did, on occassion, get the trots from drinking one of those bottles.

And to add further to the thread, here's a "I grew up next to fields that were worked by migrants" gross out story. I was 10 or 12 and one of my friends had an old blue tick hound bird dog that we were trying to train to spook up quail. We took him out behind one of the fields that had just been cleared after the final picking a day or two before because there was usually a good sized covey that holed up in the mesquites there. So we busted a few birds and after a little bit we didn't even notice that my friend's dog was gone. Finally we noticed him rolling on the edge of a pinto bean field next to the cleared field. James whistled to him and he came running to where we were, immediately rubbing along my friend's pants leg to get his ears scratched. The dog stunk like an outhouse and was completely covered on one side (You guessed it, the side he'd just rubbed across a pantleg) with crap. We went over to see what was on the dog (and James) and discovered that one of the workers had dropped trou and took a massive chile pepper seed filled dump on one of the pinto bean plants. My dad drove James and his dog home in the back of the flatbed to get washed up and I had a great laugh about it, but ever since that time I will not eat pinto beans unless I know they've been washed well in hot water.

Back to the news:

Here is an update to the current investigation of imported peppers coming from Mexico...

Salmonella fears take zing out of pepper biz

Imports of jalapeño peppers from Mexico have slowed amid government testing for salmonella, and importers say shortages are likely if the bottleneck continues.
"If this goes on for two more weeks, there's a strong likelihood you won't get a jalapeño in your burrito," says Will Steele, CEO of a leading pepper importer, Frontera Produce of Edinburg, Texas.

Let's hope that the taxpayers' friends in Washington start channeling some relief to the farmers...

Oh wait, they're just hard working regular folks who don't need money, it is SOOOOO much better to bail out failed financial institutions who created their own mess, what did the farmers do to deserve this?