Karen Kaplan, “The Science of Salmonella,” The Los Angeles Times, August 10, 2009
“This is Salmonella’s world. We’re just living in it,” claims science writer Karen Kaplan of The Los Angeles Times in this article exploring the evolution of the deadly bug responsible for recent pistachio and peanut recalls. “The bacterium appeared on the planet millions of years before humans, and scientists are certain it will outlast us too. It’s practically guaranteed that Salmonella will keep finding its way into the food supply despite the best efforts of producers and regulators.”
Kaplan writes that the rise of Salmonella is due in large part to the industrialization of agriculture and food processing, and that eating trends also play a role. She quotes Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of food-borne diseases, as saying that time-strapped Americans are consuming more preprocessed meals, which means that food has had more opportunity to be contaminated by handlers, machinery and other ingredients.
The increasing popularity of raw and undercooked foods is also a factor, according to Kaplan. She points out that, as a sign of the times, the Food and Drug Administration’s website contains a generic template for companies to announce Salmonella-related recalls.
