Don't want to alarm anyone, but can we discuss salmonellae in raw, dried coconut?

[Linda1970]

I read this a while ago, and it has bothered me a lot because Tropical Tradition is a very reputable company recommended by many books, including raw books. I don't know whether or not I should trust it. Can you tell me what you think? http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/raw_dried_coconut.htm

[light food]

From the site: "The FDA has a document on their website entitled "Organisms That Can Bug You." Under the section Salmonellosis they list unpasteurized coconut as one of the at-risk foods. They write: "Onset: Generally 6-48 hours after eating. Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache."

This sounds like "detox" symptoms that people might complain about.

On the other hand, sprouts are suposed to give people salmonella and they rarely do.

[Rawkinlocs]

I've never heard this before..but I use dried coconut often and have never gotten sick from it *shrugs*

I usually get it from my co-op in bulk.

[dreamrawalwz]

I think if there is one documented case they have to warn against it. Who knows it could have been something that person ate in conjunction. If we listen to every "you can't eat x because of y" there would literally be nothing to eat. I definitely don't agree with eating animals, but: Chickens = bird flew, Cows = mad cow disease, Pigs = t(whatever that long one was), fruits and veggies = pesticides and salmonella....see what I'm getting at?

[Linda1970]

From the site: "The FDA has a document on their website entitled "Organisms That Can Bug You." Under the section Salmonellosis they list unpasteurized coconut as one of the at-risk foods. They write: "Onset: Generally 6-48 hours after eating. Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache."

This sounds like "detox" symptoms that people might complain about.

On the other hand, sprouts are suposed to give people salmonella and they rarely do.

Good points. Thanks for your inputs.

[Linda1970]

I've never heard this before..but I use dried coconut often and have never gotten sick from it *shrugs*

I usually get it from my co-op in bulk.

Thanks for your feedback, Rawkinlocs.

[Linda1970]

I think if there is one documented case they have to warn against it. Who knows it could have been something that person ate in conjunction. If we listen to every "you can't eat x because of y" there would literally be nothing to eat. I definitely don't agree with eating animals, but: Chickens = bird flew, Cows = mad cow disease, Pigs = t(whatever that long one was), fruits and veggies = pesticides and salmonella....see what I'm getting at?

Good point. Thanks so much.

[Lay-Lay]

i've never got sick either I eat it.

[Veganforlife]

If the FDA is linked to any of this, I consider it bogus. I don't trust that corrupt organization as far as I can spit, which ain't far, except when I'm biking! :eek:
I wish they (the FDA) would get on about the horrid crap and conditions that cattle are going through before being slaughtered. (read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser for an eye opener). And they are worried about coconut? Give me a #*$&#*# break!!!

[asil]

Salmonella could potentially be anywhere. It's a bacteria, typically transmitted through feces. So sometimes people don't wash their hands and it ends up on meats, fruits, veggies, wherever. You might even contaminate your own food. Or if you don't wash your hands every time you pet your dog, contamination might occur. Or kids might cause contamination. Hey, it's a big, living, teeming, lovely, dirty world. Feces happen. :D Why worry about it though? I just wash my hands, wash my food, and keep things as orderly and clean as I reasonably can. Other than that, I hope my immune system is strong enough to take care of me when I inevitably contact unfriendly microorganisms.

[luckitri]

OK - I have to admit that I need help understanding this because the site says that the salmonella would come from bacteria infected soils , not the water , not a carrier etc. Why would a product being prepared and packaged come into contact with soil? Coconut meat is white and the milk looks like slightly colored (beige) water so any soil contamination would stand out easily. I just don't get it. Help please?

pig = triconosis (?) Anyway they say that pork is now the safest meat because it has been medicated and added to so much for so long.

Back in the late 80's early 90's there was a problem with salmonella in sprouts. It took a long time to figure out where it was coming from. Eventually it was discovered that there was a type of salmonella that was actually living inside the seeds as they were dry and it would become active when people were sprouting them. Supposedly now they only sprout from seeds that don't have the salmonella in them but how do I know? Just cause someone tells me? Since it was a nationwide problem I would like to know how they got the salmonella out of the seeds? I got mad at my hubby recently because someone talked him into buying a sprouter thingy and I told him after that salmonella scare I am not interested in getting involved with sprouting stuff (never cared for the taste anyway - and they get moldy very easily). He told me that the seller assured him that now they have seeds with no salmonella. Well - there is no assurance on the seed packet!

BAck to coconut - so are the young coconuts that I buy at the Asian market once a week (only time I can get-em) can they be contaminated even though I am the one opening them? Since it is well after 48 hours from harvest and I keep them refrigerated and they don't taste nasty (just soapy sometimes) are they still healthy for me?

by the by - I personally have had no dealings with Tropical Traditions but I have been very impressed with their website - I just hadn't found that link before. Full disclosure impresses me with their good intent. Recently a mattress salesman told me about an excellent product being sold in another store. I quit price shopping right then and there and bought what he was selling as well as the other stores' product because if I am going to sell I am going to be like that - honest - give the customer all the help I can even if it is with a competitor. Anyway I feel the same way about Tropical Traditions and will continue to do so unless presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Since they are in the business they are in the best position to have the most knowledge and they are sharing it. They really have to do a good job with their website because they are oceans away and most of us will never get a chance to meet them personally or go to their store or their farm or their processing center. Same with Alissa. The fact that she has founded this site for us to share and learn from each other is the best sales pitch I can think of for her credibility and believe me - as soon as I am able I will be buying her product before all others!

[asil]

Hmmm... Well, I can see how soil could be contaminated with Salmonella. Any kind of animal feces can contain salmonella, and soil would naturally have animal droppings, not to mention manure for growing. In some places, "humanure" is used too. How contaminated soil reaches a packaged product I can't imagine, except to surmise that the coco shell might have contact with the soil, and then during opening and processing it gets spread to the meat/milk.

As to contaminated sprouts, it's easy to see why they (and things like strawberries and green onions) are the most frequent carriers to humans from the plant world -- we eat them raw and they have lots of little "pockets" for the salmonella/dirty stuff to cling to. It doesn't make sense to me that the bacteria somehow penetrate a seed, though. Maybe the seeds are just contaminated on the outside.

Anyway, the only way to be sure you kill all salmonella in foods is to cook the heck out of food, bathe in chlorine, irradiate, or some such destructive thing.

I'm not sure precisely what your worries are. Are you worried about using dried coconut products? Maybe then grate your own from fresh. Is it about using fresh? I guess you could bathe the shell in a bleach/water mixture, rinse, let it dry, then open. There's no way the bleach will penetrate the shell. Someone on this board recently did an experiment soaking coconuts in blue dyed water and it never penetrated.

But really, ALL raw food poses this (IMO, slight) risk.

Hope this helps.

[greeninlosangeles]

I too think that our bodies have strong defenses if we feed them right. And hand washing might help somewhat, but I think too much empfasis is put on it. I was never very careful with washing my hands and I rarely get digestive diseases and my toddler too, who puts his hands everywhere and I don't get a chance sometimes to wash his hands before he puts them in his mouth. He in three years got just one stomach flu, and then my husband got it first, so he probably cought it from him.
I think body can much easier fight off natural occuring bacteria than artificially created toxins in cooked food.

[asil]

I too think that our bodies have strong defenses if we feed them right. And hand washing might help somewhat, but I think too much empfasis is put on it. I was never very careful with washing my hands and I rarely get digestive diseases and my toddler too, who puts his hands everywhere and I don't get a chance sometimes to wash his hands before he puts them in his mouth. He in three years got just one stomach flu, and then my husband got it first, so he probably cought it from him.
I think body can much easier fight off natural occuring bacteria than artificially created toxins in cooked food.


Me too. I kiss and handle dogs and cats and play with children, all known slackers on handwashing. ;) And I only wash my hands with plain water most of the time -- I abhor soap. Still, I never get sick, never get colds. I guess it's just my immune system doing it's job.