How do pathogens get into tomatoes (as recently happened) and other produce?

Question

What is the effect of fecal matter diluted with storm water, as coming through the earth from broken and blocked sewer pipes of uphill neighbors, where 70,000 coliform of fecal bacteria is indicated in soil?

Answer 1

Yes there is many pathogens(bacterial or fungal ones)

entering inside tomatoes or they can be superficial and there dissemination means are many .the surface pathogens are not  harmful because they can be washed very easy by rinsing them and avoid eating the infected ones which means the pathogen  has entered inside the plant tissues .Any way good cleaning of the fruits as general prevent and kill those pathogens . The pathogens are very fragile and can not live very long out of there environment.

Answer 2

The E-coil and Salmonella pathogens don't get inside the tomatoes, they get on the tomatoes. The overflow of the sewer systems as a result of the floods serenely are a good way to spread the pathogen. Proper washing, using a diluted bleach solution, will take care of any pantheons that get on the fruit. Follow that up with making sure hands are washed that handle the tomatoes as well as the work area where the food is prepared. Also properly cooking any vegetables will kill any bacteria.

Answer 3

Like another answerer said, the pathogens are not in the food.  They are on the surface.  You've got to wash, wash, wash your fruit and veggies before you eat them.  No matter what the package says (if it says "triple washed" like on some lettuce) wash it anyway.  Also wash your OWN HANDS too before you cook anything.  Fecal matter is found in more places than soil you know.  How about toiletts? How about door k***s and anything else people who don't WASH after using the bathroom have touched?

99% of "food poisioning" that goes on is from fecal matter that is on the hands of the person preparing and/or eating the food and does NOT come from where the food was grown.  Another big cause of food poisioning is from not properly storing food.  If it's made from dairy, eggs, meat etc. it needs to be either still hot from being cooked or still cold from being in the fridge.  If it sits out too long and gets lukewarm it could make you sick.  

I wish people would stop blaming the farmers for when they get sick and start taking responsiblity for their own food safety.  Wash your hands, food and surfaces you prepare food on and store food properly or you'll get sick no matter what the farmers or food packagers do.

Answer 4

These things are everywhere so it may be the issue is being hyped for some reason. Tomatoes, spinich, lettice all get germs which is why cooking was invented. We want to eat raw food so other means are needed to guard against the bad germs like maybe washing?

Answer 5

It appears that pathogens can indeed become a part of the fruit and not just on the surface.  What limited information I can find centers on the theory the pathogen contaminates the flower/embryo prior to fertilization with pollen.  The pathogen then either reproduces or encysts itself into the fruit.  Granted this is a theory ONLY, not a proven fact.

If it proves correct then this will severely affect organic systems (manure dependent) more extensively than the conventional systems (manure use is highly variable).  It also makes one wonder about situations that you describe and the flooding of certain agricultural fields.

It also means that no field produced product can be totally safe for consumption as livestock, wildlife and insects also have e. coli, salmonella and other pathogens in their systems.  Thus any manure deposition during flowering could lead to a safety issue for the individual consuming the product.

But then, you can have a meteor land in your lap also.

Answer 6

As was mentioned the bacteria is on the food not in the food and it really is important to clean your produce when you buy it. As to the quality of water, the filthiest water in the world is runoff from places like streets and parking lots especially huge expanses like cities. Not only are there fecal matter from all forms of animals but huge amounts of chemicals, like petroleum products and from assorted garbage. It all runs downhill to the ocean. All that water with all that material frequently causes, in this area, closing of shellfishing beds and gives rise to problems like toxic plankton as well as coliform bacteria (the reason for closures), especially in warm weather.