Red Scare still sweeping the nation

With the outbreak of salmonella continuing throughout the country, health officials remain puzzled as to the main source of the bacteria that has causes record illnesses and cost food-related companies tens of millions of dollars.

The original produce deemed unsafe for consumption were certain raw red plum, red roma and red round tomatoes. While the Food and Drug Administration has recently cleared many tomatoes, the mystery still remains as officials begin looking for other causes of the outbreak.

In a report released by the FDA, food safety chief Dr. David Acheson concludes that "tomatoes aren't off the hook," but calls for a look beyond. Investigators from the FDA say that tomatoes might not even be to blame, as 1700 samples taken from farms in Mexico and Florida all returned negative.

Now the focus has been shifted to food associated with tomatoes, including salsa, salads and pastas. While ingredients for these dishes have come under a watchful eye, the FDA is also examining the packing and shipping process of select produce.

The outbreak has caused severe consequences throughout the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 900 people in 40 states have been confirmed ill with Saintpaul, a rare salmonella strain.

For those that have been exposed to salmonella, symptoms usually begin 12 to 72 hours after infection and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. These will usually last four to seven days, and while many people can recover without any form of treatment, severe infections may possibly develop. For infants, the elderly and individuals with weak immune systems, there is a better chance of complications from the infection, even including death if not treated properly.

Along with physical effects, many companies, including suppliers and restaurants, have reported the loss of millions of dollars just from the removal of tomatoes. The National Restaurant Association has reported that the outbreak cost the food industry over $100 million.

Financial and physical issues are not the only effects caused by the scare. With a lack of adequate traceability and some states still not in the clear, consumer confidence is wavering, lowering restaurant demand and overall satisfaction with tomatoes.

Although the FDA has cleared North Carolina tomatoes, ECU student Jessica Bova is still hesitant about eating them from local restaurants or grocery stores.

"You can never know if restaurants or grocery stores were careful about handling the tomatoes, because there is no way to know if they got rid of the contaminated ones after other ones were cleared," said Bova. "If there still has not been a source located to where this outbreak started, then it definitely does not make me confident. For now, I am sticking to the tomatoes in my garden back home."

As news spread nationwide, ECU students felt the effects of the outbreak as some of their favorite foods were removed from Greenville and Campus Dining. After receiving proper information and notification from the FDA, ECU Campus Dining stopped serving tomatoes on June 7.

"After receiving precautions about the contaminated produce, we pulled tomatoes and anything prepared with tomatoes," said Allison Metcalf Woodard, the district marketing manager for Campus Dining. "We alerted students properly, mainly to explain why we had pulled the certain foods, but also to inform them overall of what was occurring. Our goal was to give as much information to our customers as soon as we could and in this way, they could take personal steps to ensure their safety and health."

Campus Dining reintroduced tomatoes and associated foods after being cleared by the FDA but allowed students to opt out if they remained unsure about the food.

"If students are still uneasy about their food, we ask that they inform staff, who will gladly prepare the food fresh without tomatoes and not just pick them off," Woodard said.

In recent developments, the FDA has begun investigating possible outbreak sources in three major tomato-growing states in Mexico, but remain unsure of the cause, or if tomatoes were even responsible for the epidemic.

This writer can be contacted by features@theeastcarolinian.com.