Erin Smith, Staff Writer

To eat raw tomatoes or not to eat them is the question everyone is asking lately with the recent salmonella scare regarding raw tomatoes that is making recent news headlines.

The strain of salmonella involved in the outbreak is the Salmonella Saintpaul strain and, as of Friday morning, there have been 228 reported cases linked to tainted tomatoes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“This is a rarer strain of salmonella than what we normally see,” said Wayne Stewart, director of the Bladen County Health Department.

Salmonella is a food-borne illness caused by a bacteria that can lead to diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping within 12 to 72 hours after being infected. According to Stewart, in most cases salmonella can be treated, but occasionally it does lead to death.

“Salmonella can be destroyed by normal cooking,” said Stewart.

He also offered some safety tips for handling fresh produce.

“Always use clean utensils and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables on clean surfaces. Always wash your hands before handling any foods, and always wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them or putting them in any other food dishes,” said Stewart. “I even wash vegetables that come pre-washed at home again before I use them.”

Dalton Dockery, extension director for Bladen County Cooperative Extension Service, told the Journal on Thursday that North Carolina is on the list of safe states meaning it has not been found here yet.

“For the most part, the tomato harvest in North Carolina hasn’t begun yet,” said Dockery. “As far as we know right now, tomatoes grown here in North Carolina are fine.”

According to Dockery, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made an announcement of an outbreak and the warning applies to raw red plumb tomatoes, raw red roma tomatoes and round red tomatoes. The agency has not yet determined the origins of the contamination. So far, 23 states have been identified as having tainted tomato crops.

“Since April, 228 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 23 states: Arizona with 19 cases; California with two; Colorado with one; Connecticut with one; Florida with one; Georgia with one; Idaho with 3; Illinois with 29; Indiana with 7; Kansas with five; Michigan with two; Missouri with two; New Mexico with 55; New York with one; Oklahoma with three; Oregon with three; Tennessee with three; Texas with 68; Utah with two; Virginia with nine; Vermont with one; Washington with one; and Wisconsin with three cases,” said the CDC Web site.

The FDA has identified the following states and regions as “safe” areas meaning the salmonella contamination has not been found in tomatoes from these locations. They are Alabama; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Delaware; some counties in Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minnesota; Mississippi; New Jersey; New York; Nebraska; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Belgium; Canada; Dominican Republic; Guatemala; Israel; Netherlands; and Puerto Rico.

Contamination of tomatoes and other fresh produce can occur at many points along the route from the farm to your home, including how it is prepared in the kitchen, according to Dockery.

The FDA encourages people who have tomatoes in their homes that they have purchased to call the store to learn the point of origin of the tomatoes. If they are unable to learn the point of origin, they shouldn’t consume the tomatoes according to the FDA Web site.

“If you are growing tomatoes at home in your garden, they should be okay,” said Stewart. “The best advice is if you don’t know or can’t determine where the tomato came from, don’t eat it. The FDA will find the source of the contamination.”

For those who have purchased raw tomatoes and have questions about the safety of using them, Dockery recommends contacting his office at 862-4591.