Salmonella has claimed the lives of one elderly woman and has caused the suffering of 300 others in San Diego over the past few months. The food that caused this bacteria? Cucumbers.
The cucumbers were produced in Mexico by the company Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce of San Diego. Their representative claims that the affected cucumbers were only a limited stock and that they have invested millions to make sure our food safety systems are effective and up to date.
I discovered this news over dinner with my family. It was interesting to hear both my mother and brother exclaim in astonishment – that a vegetable can cause salmonella?! That was when I launched into an elaborate explanation of cross-contamination and other important food safety facts that I am now very well versed in since becoming the author of this blog. I shared that yes, even though salmonella is commonly known to be spread through meat, it can affect vegetables that come in contact with meat products. I also stressed the importance of properly cleaning your raw food or cooking your food well.
Like my family, do you need to better acquaint yourself with the mechanics behind foodborne illnesses (if you do, check out our post here)? Do you need to adopt better cleaning habits for your vegetables?
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