The great tomato scare

A rare form of Salmonella, Salmonella Saintpaul, has caused roughly 145 foodborne infections in 16 states thus far, prompting the FDA to issue a warning against consuming red plum, roma or round tomatoes.

The type pictured here, cherry tomatoes, have not been found to contain the bacteria and are still safe to eat. Grape tomatoes and tomatoes sold on the vine are safe to consume. Tomatoes grown at home are still safe to eat as well.

Have you got tomatoes in the fridge? Read that sticker and find out where they came from: if it was California, you're fine. Our food often travels long distances to the market these days. A list of locales not associated with the outbreak may be found here.

This outbreak applies to raw tomatoes. If you thoroughly wash and cook your tomatoes thoroughly, Salmonella will be killed off.

As I write, McDonald's has just announced that it is pulling tomatoes from the menu. Taco Bell and other franchises are doing the same as a precaution (against lawsuits).

It's likely you won't have to wonder which tomatoes are safe to eat, because when you arrive at the market, you may well find them pulled from the bins, and if McDonald's is pulling them, they'll be disappearing from restaurants the same way spinach did a couple of years ago during an e.coli outbreak.

Salmonella poisoning usually occurs between 8 hours and 3 days after infected food is consumed. If you experience diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and fever after consuming raw tomatoes, you may be infected, and the infection's effects may last a week or so. Consult your doctor, because if you have been infected, the foodborne illness needs to be reported. For more information on Salmonella from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, click here.

You might consider growing your own tomatoes: any sunny space, even an apartment balcony with late day sun, will do, and now is the time to do it. The plants get big and ugly, but they give back plenty. In a pinch you can buy a bag of soil, cut open the top and plop the little plant right in.