As someone who is deeply in love with TexMex foods of all kinds, I am deeply sorry to report that you may want to add fresh salsa and guacamole served at restaurants to your ever-growing list of risky foods to avoid, according to a recent CDC report.
Safety reports of contaminated salsa or guacamole at restaurants and delis more than doubled from 1998-2008 to nearly 4 percent, compared to just 1.5 percent from 1984-97. Simply put, almost one of every 25 foodborne outbreaks over the past decade can be linked to tainted guacamole or salsa. And, those are only the ones that have been reported...
The likely culprits:
* Food workers don't or won't wash their hands constantly between cooking and cleaning.
* Faulty storage procedures taint your favorite chip dip before it reaches your table.
* Raw produce used to make guacamole and salsa -- cilantro, tomatoes and hot peppers -- has been part of recent food recalls.
You don't need to give up salsa completely, however, as AllRecipes.com features some 150 fresh and delicious variations (some recipes are completely off-the-wall to this very basic salsa lover, while others are very basic mixtures).
ScienceDaily July 13, 2010
KSAT.com July 13, 2010
San Antonio Express-News July 13, 2010