Sustainable Agriculture - All Comments

re: "Taro, Mauka to Makai" New 2008 edition now available

VincentD — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:03:05 GMT

On Molokai, the Annual Taro Variety Field Day will occur on Saturday, September 6, 2008. For more information, see the article from the Molokai Dispatch:

www.themolokaidispatch.com/.../2426

re: Salmonella Saintpaul....almost over?...

VincentD — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:01:03 GMT

Today, August 28, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control announced that the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak is over. See the report here:

www.cdc.gov/.../saintpaul

The investigation showed that jalapeño peppers were a major source of contamination and that serrano peppers also were a source. In addition, tomatoes were possibly a source, particularly early in the outbreak. Jalapeño peppers were traced back to distributors in the United States that received produce grown and packed in Mexico. The outbreak strain was isolated from samples of jalapeño peppers collected in a US warehouse and a patient's home and from samples of serrano peppers and water collected on a farm in Mexico. More detailed information about the outbreak investigation and results may be found in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Find the report here: www.cdc.gov/.../mm5734a1.htm

re: Jalapenos recalled....

VincentD — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:20:28 GMT

Jalapeno peppers grown in the United States are safe, according to the FDA in a revised advisory, released today, July 25, 2008.

www.fda.gov/.../tomatoes.html

Statistically speaking....jalapenos and serranos may have been the source of Salmonella saintpaul....but still not sure...

Sustainable Agriculture — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:38:07 GMT

The outbreak of Salmonella saintpaul in our food continues. The map above is from the July 9, 2008 update

re: Salmonella saintpaul on tomatoes...er, fresh salsa...er, we're not exactly sure yet.

VincentD — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:12:15 GMT

As of July 6, 2008, the number of cases has incresaed to 971, including 189 hospitalized. The updated version of the CDC alert can be found here:

www.cdc.gov/.../saintpaul

New reports are now implicating hot peppers and cilantro along with tomatoes as a source of the contamination. From the CDC update:

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an ongoing multi-state outbreak of human Salmonella serotype Saintpaul infections. An initial epidemiologic investigation comparing foods eaten by ill and well persons identified consumption of raw tomatoes as strongly linked to illness. Recently, many clusters of illnesses have been identified in several states among persons who ate at restaurants. These clusters led us to broaden the investigation to be sure that it encompasses food items that are commonly consumed with tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes, fresh hot chili peppers such as jalapeños, and fresh cilantro are the lead hypotheses. However, at this point in the investigation, we can neither directly implicate one of these ingredients as the single source, nor discard any as a possible source.

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Salmonella saintpaul on tomatoes...er, fresh salsa...er, we're not exactly sure yet.

Sustainable Agriculture — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:25:05 GMT

Following up of previous reports - Are local tomatoes safe? and Tomato Update , the current outbreak

Salmonella saintpaul on tomatoes...er, fresh salsa...er, we're not exactly sure yet.

Sustainable Agriculture — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:25:02 GMT

Following up of previous reports - Are local tomatoes safe? and Tomato Update , the current outbreak

re: Salmonella Outbreak Continues - maybe tomatoes, maybe not tomatoes

VincentD — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:13:23 GMT

See the July 1, 2008 USA today article about the tomato outbreak. CDC officials are back pedaling about maybe it's not tomatoes.

Go here:

www.usatoday.com/.../2008-06-30-Tomatoes_N.htm

re: Salmonella Outbreak Continues - maybe tomatoes, maybe not tomatoes

VincentD — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:57:20 GMT

As of July 1, 2008, 869 cases have been reported into the Centers for Disease Control. Included are 179 cases reported since June 1, 2008 or later.

This suggestst that the contamination still exists.

For the latest update from CDC go here:

www.cdc.gov/.../saintpaul

View the FDA's latest update:

www.fda.gov/.../tomatoes.html

While the FDA and CDC haven't been able to trace the source of the contamination, the FDA has made this cute little diagram to illustrate what they've done:

www.fda.gov/.../tomato_response.pdf

re: Tomato Update

VincentD — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:30:53 GMT

As of late June 25, 2008, the CDC has increased the number of reported cases of Salmonella cases to 707 cases, with at least 76 hospitalized. Here's the update:

www.cdc.gov/.../saintpaul

The FDA has added the state of Nevada as one of the states where tomatoes grown are considered safe.

FDA update: www.fda.gov/.../tomatoes.html

re: Smithsonian Institute Comes to Hawaii - "Key Ingredients: America by Food"

VincentD — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:12:28 GMT

Both the HNL Advertiser and the HNL Star Bulletin carried stories on the Key Ingredients: Food Across America exhibit at the Lama Library at Kapi'olani Community College.

Here's the Advertiser article:

www.honoluluadvertiser.com/.../article

Here's the Star-Bulletin article:

starbulletin.com/.../story01.html

re: Are local tomatoes safe? Are tomatoes from the farmer's market safe?

VincentD — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:24:39 GMT

The Marler blog reports that Cox News Service is reporting that the salmonella-tainted tomatoes did NOT come from Mexico. They appear to have come from Florida. From the interview of FDA Director Dr. David Acheson:

Florida "fits with the time frame," and investigators have not found evidence that could rule out the state, David Acheson, the Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for foods, said Thursday in a conference call with reporters.

The Centers for Disease Control is now reporting that 552 persons have been infected with Salmonella saintpaul in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

Marler Blog report: http://www.marlerblog.com/

Cox News Service Report: www.statesman.com/.../SALMONELLA20_COX_F5894.html

CDC Update: www.cdc.gov/.../saintpaul

re: Are local tomatoes safe? Are tomatoes from the farmer's market safe?

VincentD — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:36:37 GMT

Another source of information about how tomatoes can become contaminated with Salmonella can be found at the eFoodAlert Blog. References are cited. Go here:

efoodalert.blogspot.com/.../creating-killer-tomatoes.html