State Ag Dept: Georgia jalapenos are safe

Samples of fresh Georgia-grown jalapenos and salsa tested over the past week came back negative for salmonella. The state Department of Agriculture announced the results late Friday afternoon. Samples came from six Georgia farms and a Watkinsville producer of salsa that uses Georgia jalapenos. In a department press release, Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said “I hope news of our test results will encourage grocery stores and restaurants to start placing orders for these products again”. The testing in Georgia came in response to a blanket warning from the U.S Food and Drug Administration to avoid all products containing jalapenos. One pepper from a farm in Mexico had earlier tested positive for a salmonella strain. Over the past several weeks, more than 12-hundred people had been sickened by a salmonella strain.

Eighth Georgian sick with salmonella

Another Georgian has fallen ill will salmonella. That makes eight now sick with the bacteria that officials are tracing to contaminated tomatoes. Nationally the count is at least 229.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised Americans to avoid round, red tomatoes and Roma and plum tomatoes unless they’re on a list of growing regions cleared in the outbreak. Georgia’s on that list.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, stomach cramping and fever.