VEGETARIANS ARE NOT SMILING ABOUT THE TEMPEH RECALL

While it may be healthier from a nutritional point of view, there is no guarantee that vegetarian food won't contain the same kind of bacteria that are found in non-vegetarian foods. The current recall of tempeh because of possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria is a case in point.

Smiling Hara (meaning "Happy Belly") of Asheville, North Carolina (N.C.) in the United States is recalling 12-ounce packages of unpasteurized tempeh manufactured this year between Jan. 11 and April 11. For those that don't eat this product, it's made out of soybean, and is used in vegetarian cuisine as a substitute for meat.

The N.C. Division of Public Health is working hard to find out whether the Salmonella detected in the tempeh matches the strain found in an outbreak that has sickened 37 people. In the meantime, it is advising people to be careful. Unless, of course, you really want 4 to 7 days of total misery with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea (that may be bloody), fever and headache.

And, remember - you can also get this bacteria not just from your food, but from physical contact with anyone who is ill, or a carrier of this bug. Use good hygiene.

To your good health,
TSF