US Grown Jalapenos OK, But Avoid Those From Mexico, Says FDA

Featured Article
Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Public Health
Article Date: 26 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon opinions  


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:4 and a half stars

4.33 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:1 star

1 (1 votes)


The FDA is telling the American people that American grown Jalapenos and Serrano peppers are OK to consume, but Mexican harvested or packed ones should be avoided. The American grown ones are not linked to the current Salmonella Sainpaul outbreak.

The FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) says it is working with state regulatory agencies and food industry bodies that represent grocery stores, restaurants and wholesalers to make sure that everybody clearly understands this new advisory.

As the agency's investigation continues the FDA will continue to refine its guidance, the agency says.

This new advisory comes after several weeks of intensive investigation carried out in partnership with the CDC and public health authorities in various US states - the aim being to track down the source of the contamination that led to the outbreak.

According to data collected, harvesting dates, matched with the dates that people became sick, the contamination source of the problem seems to be jalapeno peppers which originated in Mexico, the FDA informs.

Additional traceback and traceforward information collected over the last few days has led to the determination that the Agricola Zarigoza produce-distribution center in McAllen, Texas - from where FDA took the positive jalapeño pepper sample - was not the original source of the contamination.

Especially vulnerable people, such as the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems should avoid eating raw Serrano pepper from Mexico, or food made from raw Serrano peppers from Mexico for the time being, informs the FDA.

www.fda.org

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject.
There are no references listed for this article.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
Christian Nordqvist. "US Grown Jalapenos OK, But Avoid Those From Mexico, Says FDA." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 26 Jul. 2008. Web.
15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116226.php>

APA
Christian Nordqvist. (2008, July 26). "US Grown Jalapenos OK, But Avoid Those From Mexico, Says FDA." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116226.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.


Nutrition / Diet

Healthy Restaurant Eating: Is The Tide Turning In Fast Foods?

Eating out, and the amount we spend on it, especially on fast foods, has been rising steadily for decades, and parallels the increase in daily calorie intake that is contributing to the growing obesity crisis. Read more...

The Eight Most Popular Diets

From Atkins to Vegan, South Beach to Mediterranean, we have selected the most popular diets available today. Read more...

What Vitamins Do I Need?

Vitamins are organic compounds which are needed in small quantities to sustain life. We get vitamins from food, because the human body either does not produce enough of them, or none at all. Read more...

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Nutrition News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Nutrition / Diet Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »