It is not a good summer for veggie and fruit lovers. Thanks to Cylospora, that nasty little parasite , everyone's favorite produce is now off limits. What to do> What to avoid? f you eat carefully you can beat this.
Many people still don;t know what Cylospora is.They often confuse it with salmonella or food poisoning. As far as digestive track upset (and that's the kindest that can be written about both) both can cause a lot of trouble. Yet Cylospora is a parasite - and it relies on only humans to thrive. Animals are free from it.On the surface of any herb,veggie or berry the parasites lie dormant in pods called oocytes.One hundred of them can fit comfortably on a pinhead .Once swallowed they trek through the esopha gus, then to the stomach and finally landing in the intestines. The pods respond to everything from gut signals to bile to digestive enzymes. The parasites go straight to the small intestine's lining where they take over the cells. They make copies of themselves; after awhile they form egg like and sperm like organisms which mess up the intestinal lining/ They reduce nutrient absorption which can cause massive diarrhea in foods and water. How people get the parasite is by ingesting water contaminated with them. Germany hands can also cause it which may explain the large contamination.Infected workers touch fresh;y picked produces and ;eave the tiny pods behind.
What can you eat during this outbreak?Fresh salads are definitely off the table. Yet there are so many delicious veggie meals you can make.If you do want fresh lettuce get the heads as opposed to the bag mixes.Amy stores have pulled these, namely from Taylor Farms off their shelves. Get the heads and then scrub thoroughly in warn water for a few minutes. DO NOT use soap or bleach when washing.This will just ruin the taste.Then pull off two to three out leaves (you can also go as high as four for extra safety).This also applies to cabbage too. Lettuce from our garden or even a neighbors'garden should be safe to eat whole.Saute ,grill or roast vegetables. Gazpacho should be put on hold this summer while tomatoes Provencale and ratatouille should be on dinner rotation. Used canned or frozen fruits and veggies for recipes Start foraging local fruit trees and forests for wild apples and strawberries. Buy thick skinned fruits like avocados, bananas and anything citrus. The skins save the fruit from the Cylospora pods and these should be discarded right away.
How long will cylospora be with us? That's hard to say. Yet play it safe. Cook safe and eat safe and you should be all right.
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