Clearing Tomato States!

The FDA is keeping us updated on states where tomatoes are cleared from the salmonella threat. Here is the link for the article but I’m pasting the list below. Tomatoes grown in these states are safe to eat raw (according to the FDA).

UPDATED LIST

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 Indiana New! Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri New Hampshire

New Jersey New Mexico New! New York Nebraska North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia

Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Baja California (Norte)**New! Belgium Canada Dominican Republic Guatemala Israel Netherlands Puerto Rico

Update on Tomato Warning!

The FDA has issued an update on its salmonella/tomato warning. Click here for more details.

Remember to look for the originating region and ask your grocer or produce manager if it is not posted. Here is the updated (as of June 12) list of SAFE states/regions:

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

Countries
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico

Be safe, folks; check where they came from, cook any suspect tomatoes and grow your own!

Tomato Warning!

At first I thought this was a joke! It is, in fact, much too real. Last year it was spinach, now it is tomatoes.

For details, read the linked article above. In short, salmonella has been traced to raw tomatoes, specifically red plum, red roma, red round tomatoes from certain states/regions. Cherry and grape tomatoes, organic or stem-attached tomatoes are safe as are the other round fatties from these states/territories/countries: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico. If you’re not sure where your tomatoes came from, cook them rather than eating them raw.

Most grocers post origins of produce but if you can’t see it be sure to ask. If they can’t tell you, either don’t buy the tomatoes or buy then cook.

Safest yet: grow your own!