How to Find Safe Tomatoes

Salmonella, the deadly bacterium that has a sneaky way of infiltrating our fruits and vegetables, has struck again. Since April 10, at least 228 people in 23 states have been sickened by the contaminant (the states include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, though it is not known if the tomatoes were grown in those states or imported.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, theSalmonellaoutbreak might have also contributed to the death of a Texas cancer patient.

Here’s a quick run-down on how to stay safe from theU.S. Food & Drug Administration, as well as a list of reasonable options if you still want to eat tomatoes this summer.

What You Can Eat, What to Avoid:

Avoidraw red plum, raw red Roma, and raw red round tomatoes that have NOT been grown in the following states:

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Delaware

Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte)*

Georgia

Hawaii

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Nebraska                                                                     

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Belgium

Canada

Dominican Republic

Guatemala

Israel

Netherlands

Puerto Rico

* Shipments of tomatoes harvested in these counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Eat:

Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes still on the vine appear to be safe to eat. Canned (that is, processed) or bottled foods like grocery-store tomato juice and spaghetti sauce are also safe if they were processed by a commercial food-processing facility.

Be wary of fresh salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other prepared foods that contain tomatoes. Ask the proprietor of the store or restaurant to verify the source of the tomatoes they use. If you’re unsure that the tomatoes are safe, says the FDA’s food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson, “don’t eat them.”

Get Treatment Immediately

People who have eaten food contaminated withSalmonellaoften have fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Infection withSalmonellaalso may be more serious or fatal in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. If you suspectSalmonellapoisoning, seek medical help immediately.

Know HowSalmonellaSpreads

Salmonellalives in the intestinal tracts of some animals, and can survive in soil and water for months. OnceSalmonellahas contaminated something, it can be spread from surface to surface. A tomato contaminated withSalmonellacan spread the bacterium to the hands of a person who cuts the tomato and to the cutting board on which the tomato is sliced, for example. BecauseSalmonellais very hard to wash off, the FDA says consumers should not try to wash tomatoes that are implicated in the outbreak. Instead, throw these tomatoes out.

Consumers should not attempt to cook potentially contaminated tomatoes, either. Handling tomatoes contaminated withSalmonellacan spread the bacterium to anything the handler touches, including hands, kitchen utensils, cutting boards, sinks, and other foods. Plus, cooking tomatoes in the home will not necessarily killSalmonella.

What About Tomatoes from Farmers’ Markets and Other Locally Grown Sources?

Before you buy tomatoes from the local farmers’ market, make sure the tomatoes were indeed grown locally. Farmers' markets get their tomatoes from a variety of sources that are not necessarily limited to local farms. These other sources may include the same ones that provided the tomatoes implicated in the Salmonella outbreak. Ask retailers at farmers' markets where their tomatoes come from to be sure they haven’t been grown in a state where salmonella is present.

That being said, chances may be higher that tomatoes grown at your local farmers' market are safe. Find the nearest farmers’ market at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’swebsite.

To find farmers that sell direct to consumers lookhere.

To find food grown in your community, check with Local Harvesthere.

Want to grow your own? There’s still time to plant and harvest tomatoes. You can put them in big pots on your porch or patio, or in a backyard garden. Get organic gardening tipshere.

And if you want to plant a garden but have no room at your own home or apartment, try acommunity garden.If it’s too late for this year, get on the waiting list for this fall or next spring.