Question about salsa

[yma832@webtv.net]

Hello All,
I have kind of a strange question. This morning I told my husband I was
going to make salsa out of all the tomatos in our garden. And he said
"well don't poison it." I said WHAT??? And he told me that he heard
somewhere (wouldn't tell me where) that if you make salsa wrong then it
could poison you. He wouldn't or couldn't tell me anything more and he
finally changed the subject. I thought maybe he was joking cause I've
never heard this before and I've made salsa before without a second
thought but I do want to make sure. Has anyone else heard anything like
this before??

Thanks so much,

Susan

[The Smurfy One]

Your hubby may have something!


http://www.asanltr.com/newsletter/02.../botulinum.htm

Here is a quote from that website:

Epidemiology:
Four clinical forms of botulism occur in humans: foodborne
botulism; wound botulism; infant botulism; and, rarely, adult
infectious botulism. Foodborne botulism is a public health emergency
because the contaminated food may still be available to other people
besides the patient. Studies in monkeys indicate that, if
aerosolized, botulinum toxin also can be absorbed through the lungs
[6]. The persistence of botulinum toxin is very high: it remains in
nonmoving water and food for weeks. Important changes in the
epidemiology of botulism have emerged in the past few decades.
Recently identified vehicles for foodborne botulism include homemade
salsa and traditionally prepared salted or fermented fish. In recent
years, restaurant-associated outbreaks accounted for a large
proportion of botulism cases. Botulism is not spread from one person
to another. Foodborne botulism can occur in all age groups. Infant
botulism occurs in a small number of susceptible infants each year
who harbor C. botulinum in their intestinal tract. It usually
affects children in the first year of life (mortality 2 %), with the
onset of obstipation, lethargy, ptosis, swallowing discomfort,
hypotonia, general weakness, and distressed breathing. It accounts
for 5 - 10 % of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

So there may be something to that. *grin*

Smurfy

--- In Budget101_@yahoogroups.com, yma832@w... wrote:
> Hello All,
> I have kind of a strange question. This morning I told my husband
I was
> going to make salsa out of all the tomatos in our garden.