Jul 23, 2008 6:00 am US/Pacific
FDA Finds Salmonella Strain In Jalapeno Peppers
WASHINGTON (CBS News) ―
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Government inspectors have found the same salmonella strain responsible for a nationwide food-poisoning outbreak in a Mexican-grown jalapeno.
AP
Nearly fifteen weeks after the first salmonella case was reported, investigators found their first infected plant -- not a tomato -- but a jalapeno pepper. And as CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports, this is just the kind of break investigators were hoping for.
"While this one sample doesn't yet give us the whole story, this genetic match is a very important break in the case because it enables us to focus our investigation on the production chain that will ultimately allow us hopefully to pinpoint the source of the contamination which has caused the outbreak," said Dr. David Acheson Associate Commissioner of the FDA.
The pepper question comes from Mexico, but the FDA says the contamination could have come from anywhere, such as infected soil, water, packing boxes or even contact with other produce in Mexico or the U.S., Cordes reports.
But Monday's discovery doesn't solve the mystery: Authorities don't know where the pepper became tainted - on the farm, or in the plant in McAllen, Texas, or at some stop in between.
Nor are they saying the tainted pepper exonerates tomatoes sold earlier in the spring that consumers until last week had been told were the prime suspect.
Still, "this genetic match is a very important break in the case," said Dr. David Acheson, the Food and Drug Administration's food safety chief.
But for now, the government is advising consumers to avoid eating any fresh jalapenos, or products made with them, such as fresh salsa. Tomatoes now on the market are considered safe to eat, health officials have said since last week.
The Texas plant, Agricola Zaragosa, has agreed to recall its fresh jalapenos, although the FDA wouldn't say how widely its produce was distributed. It is not considered a major processor, and it's unclear how far into the United States peppers traveling through this small stop near the Mexican border would have traveled, something the FDA still is working to determine.
It's also not clear if the produce distributor ever handled tomatoes. No other produce currently in the plant has tested positive for salmonella, Acheson said.
"I recognize there is a need to narrow this as soon as possible," Acheson added - as parts of the country are entering prime hot pepper season.
A person who answered the phone at Agricola Zaragosa said no one was available to comment immediately.
With 1,251 confirmed cases in 43 states - and a few among Canadian travelers to the U.S. - the outbreak isn't over yet, said Dr. Robert Tauxe of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the CDC said last week that it appeared to be slowing, and indeed has confirmed just 14 additional cases since then. The latest that someone fell ill was July 4.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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