I know that we are not supposed to leave foods such as potato and pasta salad unrefrigerated for very long for fear of food poisoning, but now we can add guacamole and salsa to that list.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study this week that said almost 1 in 25 occurrences of food poisoning was due to guacamole and salsa that had been left out. Yikes – those are two of my favorite condiments at a Mexican restaurant.
Even more alarming is the fact that the CDC said this rate is double what it was a decade ago. Researcher Magdalena Kendall of Tennessee’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, who helped collaborate on the study, said, “Fresh salsa and guacamole, especially those served in retail food establishments, may be important vehicles of foodborne infection.”
Why are these dips responsible for so much food poisoning? Kendall said, “Possible reasons salsa and guacamole can pose a risk for foodborne illness is that they may not be refrigerated appropriately and are often made in large batches, so even a small amount of contamination can affect many customers.”
In her research, Kendall and colleagues looked through the CDC records from 1973 to present for any outbreaks of food poisoning due to salsa and guacamole. There were none until 1984. About 1.5 percent of food poisoning was attributed to salsa and guacamole between 1984 and 1997. From 1997 until 2008, that rate went up to 4 percent. In total, 136 salsa and guacamole outbreaks were found – of which 84 percent were found in restaurants and delis that served the dips.
The problem is that the raw produces in the dips such as peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and cilantro have been linked to widespread salmonella outbreaks.
If that isn’t enough to make you put the dips in the fridge, consider these statistics: foodborne illnesses can cost the U.S. $152 billion (that’s right – billion) in health-related expenses each year and approximately 76 million get sick due to foodborne illnesses with 5,000 dying from it.
So make sure that you keep the dip refrigerated. If you are not sure of how long it has been out – throw it away just in case.
(This image from PD Photo.org has been released into the public domain by its author and copyright holder, Jon Sullivan.)