CAN A CAMPAIGN GET EUROPEANS TO EAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AGAIN?

Among all the other problems it has caused (see previous post) this European outbreak of super-toxic E.coli 0104 bacteria decimated consumption of fresh vegetables - extending to fruit as well. You'll recall that cucumbers, and to a lesser extent, tomatoes and lettuce, were main suspects for a while, until sprouts (which are legumes) were found to be the culprit. People simply became afraid to even bite into an apple, let alone munch that unfairly maligned cucumber or tomato. A lot of this summer's crops was plowed under or fed to pigs, goats and other farm animals that like their veggies.

EU ministers of agriculture met earlier this month to discuss a way to compensate farmers and repair the image of fresh produce. One of the several proposals is to have a massive promotional campaign. Many such campaigns already exist, including the one by Freshfel Europe (the European Fresh Produce Association), which has been in existence since 2006 (see logo above).

Some countries also have their own. The “Apples from Germany” campaign had Germany's "apple queens" present baskets of apples to Chancellor Angela Merkel and other government ministers. Other aspects of the campaign were more fun - especially the touring “Apfel-o-Mat.” This was a highly popular photo booth, where anyone could have a funny photo taken with their favorite apple.

I also like the website launched by tomato and cucumber producers in France. It is targeted to children, with quizzes and games (see photo).

City children who have never seen a tomato plant can learn all about tomato production. The campaign also has a newsletter and online videos for adults. Then there are all those other campaigns in other countries to promote kiwi fruit or blueberries from South America or bananas or some other produce.

So if another campaign is launched, will it get demand back to where it was before this outbreak? I have been involved in a few of such campaigns, and well, the results vary.

Anyway, I have noticed that after a food-linked outbreak, people avoid the culprit food for a while, and then gradually go right back to eating it. The chances are that this will happen even before the EU figures out who is going to pay for it and the campaign gets off the ground.

To your good health - and eating those veggies!

TSF

COULD TOMATOES OR LETTUCE ALSO BE CONTAMINATED?

The large outbreak of foodborne illness in Europe caused by Enterohemorrhagic E.coli 0104:H4 (EHEC) has been attributed to contaminated organic cucumbers imported from Spain. But keep an open mind. It could be another fresh vegetable as well, one such as tomatoes or lettuce.

In fact, German authorities have advised people to be careful when eating any of these vegetables raw. Why? Well, at least one study of women who had become ill (adult women are the main victims) found that a slightly higher percentage had eaten raw tomatoes than had eaten cucumbers in the preceding days. Lettuce also scored well in this survey.

So why were cucumbers pinpointed as the culprit vegetable? Actual testing did find the identical EHEC bacteria to be present in those imported whole cucumbers. To date, no testing has turned it up in tomatoes or in lettuce. But that doesn't mean it won't be found tomorrow, or in a week's time.

It wouldn't be the first time that the initial identification of a culprit food wasn't quite accurate. This happened with a large outbreak of Salmonella illnesses (Salmonellosis) in the United States in 2008. For weeks tomatoes were believed to be the cause, but later it was found that the culprit vegetable was Jalapeno and Serrano peppers (with "maybe" tomatoes as well). In other incidents strawberries have been blamed when it was actually raspberries. And so on. Nor is it impossible that more than one fresh vegetable is involved. This is quite likely if they came from the same farm or even the same area. The same improperly prepared organic fertilizer, E.coli 0104:H4 contaminated irrigation or processing water, or even packing ice could have been used.

So yes, if you live in Germany, and especially Northern Germany (where most of the illnesses have occurred) or are visiting there, I would avoid all three of these fresh vegetables for a little longer, until the investigation comes up with more answers. Washing may help a bit, but it may not work completely.

To your good health,
TSF

WHY ARE GRAPE TOMATOES CONTAMINATED?

An old friend in Australia asked me on my Facebook site whether I thought their grape tomatoes were also unsafe to eat. After I answered the question, something occurred to me. Perhaps she - and some other people - are thinking that the recently discovered Salmonella-bacteria contamination of some U.S. grape tomatoes has something to do with the nature of grape tomatoes themselves. That is, that grape tomatoes are less safe than other kinds of tomatoes.

That isn't the case. As far as I know, grape tomatoes are no more likely to carry pathogenic bacteria. And remember, in the current U.S. outbreak, all the tomatoes came from just one Florida farm which sent them to one Florida packer. Other grape tomatoes from other farms - as far as we know - are currently safe.

Any kind of tomato can become contaminated. Who knows, tomorrow we may hear of a recall of cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes or Roma tomatoes. Over the years, we have had many incidents of contaminated fresh tomatoes, and Salmonella has been a common culprit. While they are growing, bacteria can get into growing tomatoes through contaminated irrigation water, fertilizer (especially if composting has not been properly done), from birds or insects or wildlife (such as those squirrels which are always trying to take a bite out of mine). While being sorted and packed, workers who are carriers of bacteria, viruses or parasites can also contaminate them. There have been cases when even the washing water was found to be the cause. Although fresh tomatoes are most likely to cause food poisoning, processed, as well as fresh tomatoes can carry bacteria and viruses. In 2010 there was a somewhat unusual small outbreak of Hepatitis A in France caused by sun-dried tomatoes (imported from Turkey). Basically, anything can happen.

So how can you keep eating those delicious fresh tomatoes and still be safe? There is no magic answer. Growing your own would certainly help (the photo is of one of my heritage tomatoes). And if you can't do that, there are studies which have shown that tomatoes still on the vine are safer than those off the vine.

TSF

CHECKING THE GRAPE TOMATOES IN MY LOCAL STORES

Labelling of produce can help to keep us safe. By U.S. law, fresh produce should be labeled according to its country-of-origin- U.S.A, Mexico,Canada, or whatever. This "COOL" law has applied to product since 2008 (it applies to other food products as well). All retailers, big and small, are supposed to comply. Packaged fresh produce items (in plastic bags, clam-shell containers, or whatever) are meant to have the country of origin on the label. Loose produce is supposed to show that information somewhere - as on a packing case underneath, or sign. That is, in theory.

So since I was out shopping a couple of days ago, I decided to pop into a few local stores and see how their grape tomato sales were doing. The answer - very well indeed. No one seemed to be worried about Salmonella.

My local Safeway was still selling them, with the country-of-orgin and distributor name visible on the packaging, and in the case of loose ones, readable if you more or less stood on your head. The small "local" produce market across the way (which, I have noticed, also sells a lot of products from Mexico, and even Asia) had some in those aqua plastic baskets (bought in bulk, and then repackaged, I assume) with no label or country-of-origin visible. I asked, and was told that "they were probably from the USA." No one in the store seemed to know who the distributor was. (By now we know that some loose tomatoes are being recalled as well).

At Trader Joe's they were still there, in the clam-shell packages that I had pictured in an earlier post. While Trader Joe’s, a national grocery chain, has indeed recalled certain lots of its Splendido Trader Joe's Little Tomatoes - for instance - in Ohio, I was told that these ones had come from a different farm. Well, we shall see. Let's hope they didn't even share the same packing line with the recalled ones.

To your good health!
TSF