You've all no doubt noted the current salmonella- tainted tomato debacle we're in, although apparently Florida's crop being harvested now has been approved for sale. Food safety is my number one Homeland Security issue, because I don't think Al Qaeda operatives are going to turn up in rubber dinghies on the Rio Grande or along Tampa Bay anytime soon. It's tough to maintain healthy food standards with on-going government cutbacks of budgets, inspectors and the lot.
Local supermarkets have posted notices about what tomatoes are presumed safe, though none are as pampered as my own bin-grown babies on my patio. But--in this Washington Post article, the Center for Science in the Public Interest does praise the FDA for acting swiftly to alert consumers and vendors of the 'mater problem. Still, the source of the contamination is unknown.
As the tomato is right up there with the potato as America's favorite veggie ( fries with ketchup?) I trust this latest saga will be ended soon. For regularly updated tomato reports click on the FDA page.
UPDATE: Dana Milbank of the WaPost has an amusing take today on tomato-related hearings in the House Commerce subcommittee. I have enjoyed his political riffs during the Dem Primary and personally find humor in most subjects, especially pomposity and hypocrisy among our elected reps. But---- food safety is not a(n )hilarious topic, because if we can't fuel ourselves safely, then what? ( We can always turn to white pizza...)
" First we eat, then we do everything else."
(That's the little Heinz tomato guy pictured above. http://www.heinz.com/Promotion.aspx)
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