Two years ago, the FDA began testing foods for the presence of disease-causing bacteria as a way to learn how prevalent they are and how to prevent food-borne illness. In its latest round of tests, the agency said 1 percent of cucumbers and 3 percent of hot peppers, such as jalapeños and serranos, carried salmonella bacteria, said Stat, the medical news site.
“Both the vegetables were targeted by the agency’s pro-active testing because of their role in previous outbreaks,” said Stat. “Because cucumbers are often eaten raw, bacteria on them are more likely to make it into food.” Raw cucumbers have been blamed for five outbreaks of illness in the past two decades.
Hot peppers are often cooked as part of a recipe but may be a little-noticed ingredient in many dishes. The FDA collected its samples from ports, packing houses, food makers and distributors across the country.