MORE THAN JUST SPICE

Some of the spices in your kitchen may harbor salmonella, a genus of bacteria that sicken more than a million people in the U.S. every year. An alarming new study by the Food and Drug Administration found that 7 percent of imported spices carry salmonella. Some 15 percent of coriander shipments, 12 percent of oregano and basil shipments, and 4 percent of black pepper shipments tested positive for the bacteria. “Salmonella is a widespread problem with respect to imported spices,” FDA official Michael Taylor tells The New York Times. “(click below to read more)
We have decided that spices are one of the significant issues we need to be addressing right now.” Many people know that undercooked meat and poultry can cause salmonella poisoning, but those who become sick rarely imagine their seasoning might be to blame. DNA testing has traced three major salmonella outbreaks in the past five years to spices. The infection causes diarrhea, fever, cramps, and, in rare cases, death. Experts say the best way to avoid being sickened by spices is to apply them before cooking, since heat kills the salmonella bacteria.