Posted on 07/21/2008 9:18:21 PM PDT by JimPrevor
The FDA continues its habit of making mountains out of mole hills. The discovery of a single jalapeño with Salmonella Saintpaul at the warehouse of a tiny distributor named Agricola Zaragoza on the McAllen Produce Terminal Market simply doesn’t mean very much.
...Once again, needlessly and with reckless disregard for the rights of innocent people, the FDA has destroyed an industry.
...Dr. Acheson thinks that it is within his authority to destroy the fortunes of innocents.
...Repeating the words “public health” as a mantra, though, does not make it true. The bottom line is that the risk for healthy people of eating fresh jalapeños was always inconsequential and, at this date, is de minimis.
...these recommendations are based on nothing other than Dr. Acheson’s personal metric of risk aversion.
...If the FDA thinks it can just shut down a New Jersey jalapeño farm on the odd chance that maybe it has something to do with something, then we are no longer a government of laws, we are just at the mercy of men like Dr. Acheson.
(Excerpt) Read more at perishablepundit.com ...
Do you know how my family reacted to the tomato scare?
We flat out ignored it.
And, as it turned out, the government was crying wolf...yet again.
Bet that part of government never shrinks.
Even though government action put a significant number of farmers flat out of business.
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Tomato crop sales in VA are down 30%, due to a misguided government pronouncement.
I think the VA Gov (idiot dem) aught to declare a state of emergency, and apply for Federal disaster relief for the state.
Never fear I had lots of jalapeno and chili pepper plants that are ready to bloom. How many do you need to make it through the winter?
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Hmm...better not let FDA find out. They may come a knocking. Thanks for the post. Jim Prevor http://www.PerishablePundit.com
When they came for the chili farmers, I did not speak out, for I was not a chili farmer...
I did notice, however, the bodies of the tomato farmers that were run over like road kill by the FDA and the main stream media in their mad dash to the "24-hour truth"...
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
BTW...Welcome to FRee Republic
Gardening and foodie PING..........
I highly recommend going to the link, it is an excellent analysis of what damage is done by these over zealous bureacrats.
This entire subject just has me fuming. Thanks for the ping.
Yes, and they will get "compensation" in the form of taxpayer money.
The FDA guarantees either the farmer or the taxpayer is screwed.
Farmers are taxpayers. I'm just sayin' ...
Agreed. It is irritating to see the link repeated in every response. However, welcome to FR and thanks for the article!
Frankly speaking, innocent people are not permitted to spread disease.
No doubt finding one pepper WITH SALMONELLA ON THE INSIDE is just "one pepper", but NO PEPPERS are allowed to have salmonella on the inside.
Gotta' be a darned good explanation for that one.
Given that the earliest findings involved salsa, which is made out of TOMATOES and PEPPERS, going after the tomatoes and then the peppers made sense.
I'm sure the pepper sample size has been substantially increased now that the "detection sampling" stage has been found to be productive.
That will leave the Mexican pepper growers squealing like pigs.
Jim, the simple fact is that most bureaucrats don’t care about the economic impact of their actions. And if they do, they don’t always understand it.
The career bureaucrat has never had to make a payroll or worry where his own paycheck is coming from. Not at all unusual to find that he is of a completely different mindset than the the business owner.
Thanks Gabz.
Thanks neverdem.
[”A fresh jalapeno pepper grown in Mexico and processed in Texas”]
Tests Positive for Salmonella
ABC | July 21, 2008 | Kate Barrett and Lisa Chinn
Posted on 07/21/2008 4:31:02 PM PDT by Scythian
Edited on 07/21/2008 4:42:34 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2049068/posts?page=137#137
Thanks for the ping!
Gardening/canning question here, and I know you both do a lot with peppers/canning. Hubby wanted salsa, so I made some. He wanted his jalapeno peppers in it. I told him—meaning cut the seeds out—that the seeds were the hot part. He misunderstood and left them in. As a result, the “mild” will make your mouth hurt. Can this batch be salvaged by adding A LOT more tomatoes, or should I just pitch it and chalk it up to lessons learned?
It's not exactly helping American pepper growers, either. Look what happened to the US tomato growers because of the overblown hysteria caused by stupid bureaucrats and their media lackies.
If you haven’t processed it yet I would say add lots more maters. And some lemon or lime juice.
If you have processed it, give it to someone who like hot salsa!
I second Gabz’ response. If not processed yet, I’d try adding some of it to a new batch for flavor. If already processed, it is what it is. ;-)
Thanks, Ladies! I’m supposed to pick up a bushel of maters from the local farmer’s market after work this eve. That stuff is so hot, I don’t even know if that will help. I think I might just pitch it and start over. I was thinking about freezing instead of canning. Any tips or suggestions?
This is just my personal opinion, but I would not attempt to freeze salsa except maybe one or two containers as an experiment. The flavors are so distinct in salsa that I doubt it would retain much after the first month or so. When all else fails though, I consult the Ball’s Blue Book of Preserving, which covers freezing tomatoes alone but not in a salsa. Canning is the only method of preserving mentioned for salsa. Good luck!!!
Yup, good point. They get it TWICE. :-/
Thanks again. Sigh. That’s what I get for trying to take shortcuts!
Do you have any particular recipes you use for canning salsa? Half of them make it sound easy and the other half scare you to death about keeping the quantity of ingredients and vinegar to the right proportions.
Thanks for the ping, but it’s not my thread.
I do have recipes and I will get them to you tonight. Have to run for the moment ...
Thanks! No hurry. I’m not doing anything until tom. I’m beat. It was only about 90 here today, but the heat index was around 110. I was inside but still... Had to water the greenhouse and plants outside.
One of the originals has corn and black beans in it and lots of herbs. I think I can salvage most of that one. The hotter one... Not sure. :)
Jalalpeno Salsa
3 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
3 cups chopped jalapeno peppers
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 teaspoons oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim of jars and apply two piece caps, tightened only until there is resistance, careful not to overtighten. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Fiesta Salsa
7 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
2 cups chopped, seeded and peeled cucumbers
2 cups chopped and seeded banana peppers
1 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped, peeled, roasted Anaheim peppers
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup minced cilantro
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh jarjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim of jars and apply two piece caps, tightened only until there is resistance, careful not to overtighten. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Salsa is one of the most varied sauces and is easy to adjust to your personal tastes. Don’t be afraid to increase or decrease any of the ingredients or throw in another spice or ingredient. It is hard to go wrong (unless, of course, your husband leaves all of the seeds in the peppers and the results will melt steel) ;-)
Have fun and let me know if you run into any questions!
Whoops, plastered that into the wrong topic, sorry. :’(
Mr. Prevor is the fourth generation of his family to be active in the food business in the United States. Prior to launching his own company, he served as a director of his family's company, which was an importer, exporter and wholesaler of foodstuffs, including produce, deli meats and cheeses, fresh eggs and frozen eviscerated poultry. At various times, the business also included supermarkets and convenience stores, a restaurant chain and various farming operations.
I guess we all have our agendas.
Thanks so much! I’ve always been an “add what you want until it tastes good” type of cook, and that’s pretty much waht I did with the salsa. Then I looked up canning salsa and some of the sites were just adamant about not changing the ratio of stuff and vinegar. I figured I better ask someone with some experience.
One of the older ladies I talked to yest said she doesn’t even process hers. Said she just cooks the veggies until done, hot packs hot jars with hot lids and lets them set on the counter. Said that they will seal jsut fine. Don’t know if I want to go that far or not! although I’ve eaten a lot of stuff this woman has fixed and so have many, many other local people and no one has ever gotten sick!
Told hubby I was going to pitch the really hot stuff. He had a fit, so I’m going to add maters and can it. I’ll probably end up throwing it out next time I need jars. Two years ago, he wanted pickled okra. I put it up, and noticed he wasn’t eating any. ??? It’s too salty. OOOkkkaaayyyy. This from a man who literally coats everything with salt. I put 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt in each jar. Go figure. Good thing I love him! LOL
I would take the additional few minutes and water bath the jars. Better safe than sorry. Then again, I am particularly particular about food. I read an article (which I saved but can’t find on my hard drive) about bacteria that can grow in tomato products that does not make the product look, taste, or smell, strange in any way. I believe it was a USDA document. Anyway, I’ve not taken any chances since. If I can find it, I’ll get you the text ... it was interesting.
That’s waht I thot too. And I’ve read that about salsa. Evidently the added ingredients take the needed acid out of the finished product.
I finally, finally, jsut got done peeling a half bushel of romas and i’ve got them cooking now. I think what I’m going to do is reheat the hot stuff and add the too hot to the fresh, one dipperful at a time and see waht happens.
We’ve got so many diseases and insects around here that even putting boiling water on the maters, they’re still a pain to peel. I’ve got another half that I want to do up and freeze—gonna have to wait til I get off work tom. My hands are killing me.
Salsa update:
Mine—the milder one, turned out fine. I cooked the new maters, added another ziplock bag of frozen corn and half a bag of cooked black beans and finished filling the bowl up with the new maters. It was ok, so I kept adding the old mixture until I had it all in. Tasty! Ended up with half a dishpan full, made 7 quarts.
Hubbies—there’s no hope. I added more than half a pan of cooked tomatoes—my big blue enamel steamer bottom pan. It is still miserable. That’s alright. I’m going to can it anyway. I figure one quart jar of that in a big pot of chile is going to be jsut about right! Got 7 quarts and 4 pints out of that one.
He came in awhile ago and said—I want you to pickle me some okra this year.
I’m gonna pickle him!
The salsa with the corn and beans sounds delicious. I think you have figured out just the right use for the hotter batch ... good thinking on your part. When you pickle the hubby, watch the salt. You know what happened last year. (ducking)
I've got to start putting up figs tomorrow. Was checking one of the trees this morning and got full just eating them fresh. Not looking forward to the itching though. Jeans, long sleeves and gloves are not going to be comfortable in the 100+ temps we've been having, 113 with the heat index. ;(
No need for anyone except hubby to duck! Not only does he have selective hearing, he has CRS. Can’t remember...anything!
I hear you about the heat! Can’t stand it, although the other day, I did sweat enough that I had a trickle running down my back and my hair was wet. Go figure! i haven’t “perspired” for years and years. I just get heat stroke and end up bad off, therefore I tend to avoid heat like the plague. My body is changing...again. Sigh. I wish it would make up it’s mind!
Our figs are starting to smell good but we won’t get any of the first ones—mockingbird. When he gets tires of figs, tehn we’ll get some. Can’t stand fig leaves/sap. That’s the reason we wait until after frost to take cuttings. I don’t think it matters wehn you take cuttings to root them, except for my comfort. :)
Thanks for the ping...........
My family sold its food company almost twenty years ago. There is no “agenda” — the fact that I worked in the business simply allows me to understand it better. Today I write and speak on the subject. If you have a critique of my ideas you should explain it, not question my motivations without any reason.
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Thank you for your post.
The distinction is twofold: First, a leper, in fact, has leprosy. Second, leprosy is contagious.
A pepper grower in New Jersey who was de facto banned from selling his crop, never had anything to do with the salmonella Saintpaul — as the FDA has now admitted.
Second, Salmonella is common, with an estimated 1.4 million cases a year. Most people do not get sick enough to bother going to the doctor or hospital. They don't get sick at all unless they eat the salmonella. People can further protect themselves by making sure their food is cooked well.
Your comment about salmonella on the inside or outside is actually reversed. Salmonella on the inside would be very serious — it would indicate that Salmonella was internalized in the growing process, a question on which there is great debate as to its feasibility in field — not laboratory — conditions. Salmonella on the outside of a pepper -— or anything else — may or may not mean anything. Someone could have been cutting chicken and not washed his hands thoroughly and put the Salmonella on the exterior of a pepper.
As of today — July 26, 2008 — no further positives have turned up and the FDA won't tell us the number of negatives which we would expect are now well into the thousands.
Appreciate the contribution.
Jim Prevor
http://www.PerishablePundit.com
Our local tomato growers were hit hard by tomatoes bans caused by these toxic jalapeños from Mexico
Irony is that with NAFTA our tomato growers are under tremendous pressure from Mexican tomatoes and here you have Mexican jalapeños hurting them even more
8 years ago Chilean grape and fruit growers lost one billion due FDA foolishness
CHILE MAY SUE U.S. OVER GRAPE BAN
LEAD: Eighteen months after the United States briefly prohibited the import of Chilean fruit when cyanide was found in two grapes, angry farmers, exporters and politicians here are trying to build a case to demand at least $333 million in damages.
Dignity and Prestige
Senator Sergio Romero of the center-right National Renovation Party, the second largest force in the Chilean Congress, said recently that he was in favor of taking any steps ‘’that lead to reparations for the damage caused.’’
‘’The damage is much more than $333 million,’’ he said, ‘’because this involves the dignity of a country and the prestige of the fruit, on which you cannot put a price.’’
The F.D.A. said last March that it had received telephone threats saying that Chilean fruit shipped to the United States had been poisoned as a protest over unspecified policies of the Pinochet Government. Agency investigators tightened inspections of Chilean produce, but found no cyanide. Then, after another threat, investigations were again increased, and two grapes tainted with cyanide were found in an inspection in Philadelphia.
The food agency said its investigators found the two contaminated red grapes because they were discolored and had puncture holes surrounded by white rings of crystalline dust.
Although the scare over poisoned grapes passed quickly in the United States, the bitterness over the issue continued to simmer here and has recently heated up again because of the release by the Exporters Association of a report on studies challenging the F.D.A. test results. The studies, which were commissioned by the exporters, were done at the University of California at Davis and various Chilean universities and private institutes.
(SNIP)
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