What is safe to eat for your for your Fourth of July picnic or Independence Day Bar-B-Que? Are Tomatoes Still Tainted? The reports from the CDC recently have suggested that it is unclear what is causing the problems (is it tomatoes) with an outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella Saintpaul. The investigation is dragging and now health officials are looking at other causes for the outbreak other than the tainted tomatoes.

Fourth of July Picnic: Wait, Are Tomatoes Still Tainted?

The CDC is reporting that since April, a total of 922 persons have been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 40 states and the District of Columbia. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Two new states, Iowa and Louisiana, report ill persons, a report from the website reads.


Part of the problem with the investigation is determining the origination of the outbreak. The report notes that recently, many clusters of illnesses have been identified in Texas and other states among persons who ate at restaurants. These clusters have led us to broaden the investigation to be sure that it encompasses food items that are commonly consumed with tomatoes.

ABC news notes that federal officials have been centering their investigation on certain types of raw tomatoes. Since then, food safety inspectors have traveled to tomato farms in Mexico and Florida as the number of sick people continued to rise.


That report notes that strategy is a failure so far, though as instead of homing in on what caused the illnesses over the past few months, inspectors now say that they aren't so sure that tomatoes are the culprit. As a result, officials are retracing their steps and talking to sick people to find what else could be causing the illnesses.

So - what is now safe to eat? The CDC has a list here that gives advice to consumers on how they can be sure the tomatoes they want to consumer are safe.