A few weeks ago, the FDA announced that there was a tomato recall due to outbreaks of salmonella that had been linked to eating raw tomatoes. Not all tomatoes were under suspicion. For instance, grape tomatoes were eliminated as a source. I work at McDonald’s and we pulled tomatoes from our store in compliance with the recall, even though not all states were affected and our state was not even on the list.

Then, we got an announcement that we could start serving tomatoes again. From what I understood, the source and locations had been discovered.

Now, the FDA is saying they’re not even sure tomatoes were a problem to begin with, and even if they are, they’re not sure where the source of the problem is and where any affected tomatoes might be. They did testing on suspect tomatoes and found no salmonella.

Now, I appreciate that the FDA is trying to protect consumers. That’s what their job is. But it looks like we all need to get new pocket watches to keep up with the timing of recalls such as this.

Today, a recall. Tomorrow, all is safe. The next day, we don’t have a clue what to tell the public.

Right now, the FDA is reporting new outbreaks of salmonella weeks after the recall. This means that people were still contracting a potentially deadly bacteria during a period of time when there were no tomatoes in stores or restaurants. I think they’re barking up the wrong tomato vine. Look at the handlers, the shippers, the warehouses, the trucks. The tomatoes aren’t the problem. Somewhere, there is a place that is contaminated. Maybe it’s in the boxes the tomatoes are shipped in.

The thing is, Salmonella comes from feces. It can be present on household pets, such as cats and dogs, on turtles, and on farm animals without those animals actually being sick. It can also be spread from human waste from infected individuals. While the FDA is out chasing killer tomatoes, maybe the should be looking more closely at the environment around packing houses and warehouses to see if there are carriers that come in contact with human hands, then tomatoes. Pet the cat - touch the tomatoes - spread the bacteria?

Also, tomatoes are hugely attractive to both turtles and cats. Both animals will eat tomatoes and touch every part of the plant. Perhaps that’s what the source is. The source might even be found right where the tomatoes are accessed by the public - in the stores and restaurants of areas where there have been outbreaks of salmonella.

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