Spices are beginning to be recognized as major sources of salmonella.
In a study of more than 20,000 food shipments, the food agency found that nearly 7 percent of spice lots were contaminated with salmonella, twice the average of all other imported foods. Some 15 percent of coriander and 12 percent of oregano and basil shipments were contaminated, with high contamination levels also found in sesame seeds, curry powder and cumin. Four percent of black pepper shipments were contaminated.
Salmonella in Spices Prompts Changes in FarmingSymptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that begin 12 to 36 hours after infection and can last three to five days.
Tex