Cilantro Taco.jpgYes, the headline is against the conventional wisdom that imports are poisoning us – especially those from south of the border. However, in two decades of foodborne illness litigation, the vast majority of outbreaks in the U.S. were caused by U.S. grown, raised or manufactured products. It is ironic to see a U.S. product getting similar abuse.

According to a report in Tijuana’s daily Frontera, a salmonella-contaminated cilantro from U.S. sources has been introduced into the Mexican taco-production food chain, and residents and tourists of Tijuana are being “warned of the gastrointestinal distress that will ensue if the contaminated herb is consumed.”

The cilantro comes from several California sources, according to Ricardo Zamarrón, director of Tijuana’s city health department. The cilantro was believed to have been distributed by Sabor Farms under brand names Tanimura & Antle, Ocean Mist, Nature’s Reward, and Queen Victoria during the last two weeks of January. Mexican restaurateurs have been advised to avoid using cilantro with those brand names.