Raw tomatoe sauce dangers?

[Analeah]

I have some raw tomatoe sauce which I made a week or two ago and I haven't used it all yet. I just tasted some and it has started to ferment or something I think but it still tastes okay although a little acidic. I am wondering if there are any serious dangers to eating it....I know at least with cooked tomatoe sauce dangerous bacteria can develop that can make you very sick. Is this likely to happen with raw tomatoe/tomatoe sauce as well?

[ConsciousCuisine]

In general, prepared (mixed) raw foods must be consumed within 2-3 days of combining *unless* it is a fermented food and you intend it to be eaten that way. This is why the FDA is so against raw sprouts and the like, and tells you to lightly steam these foods since harmful pathogens/bacteria can and will form naturally in the food from the air, the soil the veggies were grown in, the touch of human hands and even rodents and other vermin at shipping docks and so on. Whne storing foods to be eaten later, always use a clean utensil when serving and *never* "double dip" as you have enzymes in your saliva that will interact with the food and start to break down the food and cause it to rot.
Is the sauce safe to eat? I'd say "NO!" if it is 2 weeks old...

[Analeah]

Hmm that's definately good to know. I just ate some of the sauce last night and I feel fine today but it's probably about two weeks old by now so I will toss the rest of it. I have noticed that it really depends on what fruit/vegetable/grain etc you are keeping in the fridge. Shredded zuchini for example doesn't last more than three or four days or a week at most but shredded beat will last longer. My first test is usually smell and then to taste it. Do you think it is a safe test when deciding if something is harmful or not?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Especially with "combined" foods, such as the tomato sauce, a smell-test is not an accurate and safe way to know if the food is spoiled or not. Single-foods that are not mixed with others can and will usually last longer than the combined ones.

[Analeah]

Thanks for your advice CC it's really good to know all this! I have just one more questions about this...if you use some olive oil or salt etc in combined food such as a sauce or something else, will this act as a mild preserver? I have noticed that at least with the tomatoe sauce which has some olive oil in it that it seems to keep for more than a few days but other combined food which doesn't have anything added to it doesn't keep as long. Just wondering if it is a coincidence or if it's possible it can help prolong the life of combined food when in the fridge...