Peppers get Better(s)
FDA gives all-clear to domestic peppers, warns about jalapeño and serrano from Mexico.
By Richard Whittaker, 1:14PM, Fri. Aug. 1, 2008
Latest word on the ongoing salmonella outbreak: Avoid any raw serrano and jalapeño peppers from Mexico. Everything else should be fine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that they are close to tracking down the source of the disease. Testing on a farm in Tamaulipas state in Mexico revealed traces of the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul that has caused 1,300 cases of salmonella. However, the FDA is trying to find a second source which supplied contaminated jalapeños to the Agricola Zaragosa distribution center in McAllen, Texas.
So, what's OK to eat? If your pickle is commercially canned, pickled or cooked, it's perfectly fine. If you like your jalapeño or serrano raw, then make sure they're domestically produced. For updates, visit the FDA's advisory page. Anyone in the food service industry may want to check out their handy-dandy Advice for Retailers, Restaurateurs and Food Service Operators.
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Food, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Salmonella Saintpaul, Jalapeño, Serrano
