Last year’s terror on the table was e-coli tainted spinach, this summer it’s, salmonella contaminated tomatoes. The salmonella bacteria usually associated with under cooked poultry and eggs, can also invade fruits and vegetables. “Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections particularly in young children, frail or elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy people often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses. Consumers who have recently eaten raw tomatoes or foods containing raw tomatoes and are experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.” (1)
This “outbreak linked to raw tomatoes, serves as a reminder to take extra care with summer fruits and vegetables. While there is no way for consumers to detect salmonella (you can't smell, taste or see it), there are some things you can do reduce the risk from raw vegetables. Cooking tomatoes at 145 degrees F will kill salmonella.” (8) Also:
• “Check your tomatoes: The Food and Drug Administration is advising people even in unaffected states to eat only tomatoes not associated with the outbreak: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home. For other tomatoes, cut away the part that is attached to the plant and the button on the other side. That part can carry a food-borne illness because it's a hard area and organisms can attach themselves to it.”
• “Wash produce: whether organic, or not with cold running water. Scrub them gently with your hands or with a vegetable brush. Remove outer layers of cabbage and lettuce.”
• “Wash hands, surfaces: Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food. Wash your hands if you come in contact with pet feces [cat, dog or reptile], use the bathroom or change a baby's diaper. Also wash cutting boards, counters and utensils to avoid cross-contamination. Avoid any kind of contact with raw meat when preparing fresh vegetables. Refrigerate sliced-up fruits and vegetables.”
• “Inquire at restaurants: Ketchup and cooked sauces are not affected by the outbreak. And several restaurants are not serving tomatoes – [at this time], McDonald's and other chains said they had stopped serving sliced tomatoes in their U.S. restaurants.
• “Report the illness: Salmonella poisoning generally occurs hours after ingestion and involves symptoms such as abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The CDC says symptoms generally appear 12 to 72 hours after infection. People should report a suspected food-borne illness to the local health department.” (1) 
Stay safe and use the Consumer Report’s website – www.notinmycart.org – for up to the minute information on food and other product recalls. 

(1) Tomato recall includes safe list June 10, 2008 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Andrew Schineiderp-I, Senior Correspondent 

One whole, large egg is 72 KCAL, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 211mg cholesterol, 62mg sodium, .6g carbohydrate and 6.2g protein. Compare those stats with two egg whites (the equivalent) for 28 KCAL, comparable in sodium, carbohydrate and protein but minus the cholesterol and fat. 

As I said in my recent cooking tip, dehydrated, pasteurized egg whites are a staple in my pantry. I prefer them over the liquid, pasteurized variety, although I have used both, the latter in omelets and the former in veggie burgers or meatloaf. The Deb-El product is great as is Bob’s Red Mill for my purposes. But if you bake you need to know what Betsy Kline discovered and published in her 1999 Post-Gazette article - No yolk: Pasteurized Egg Whites Are a Baker's Boon.

“The pour-able egg whites are the simplest to use - no messy cracked shells or tricky separating whites from yolks. AllWhites, one of many egg products produced by Papetti Foods of Elizabeth, N.J., is 100 percent egg whites that have been heat pasteurized and packaged. The powdered Just Whites, a product of Deb-El Foods Corp., headquartered across the street from Papetti but not connected with it, are the result of a food technology that goes back 75 years, said Daniel Gibber, Deb-El vice president of marketing. Liquid egg whites are sprayed into a huge dryer, the resulting powder collected and then heat pasteurized. It has been on the market in limited distribution for about five years, he says.”

“Just Whites require a bit of work before you use them. They must be measured then stirred with warm water until dissolved. The instructions say about two minutes of gentle stirring and that's what it takes. Emphasize the gentle.” Overdo it with the whisk and end up with too much froth. Here’s how fresh, powdered and liquid egg whites performed in Kline’s three test recipes:
• “Duquesne Club Macaroon, a dense and intensely sweet treat made of egg whites, powdered and granulated sugars, and huge amounts of almond paste. Both the Just Whites and AllWhites produced a flavorful cookie, barely distinguishable taste-wise from the original. The AllWhites version was virtually identical in appearance and texture. The Just Whites macaroon actually was a tad chewier, but with a more pleasing, crackled appearance with a nice glossy shine. Tester's note: Next time we make this cookie, we're going with the powdered whites.
• Chocolate Chip Meringues, a fave because it is low-fat and easy. Unlike many meringue cookies which sit for hours drying in the oven, this one is in and out in 45 minutes. Easy as whipping eggs? Not exactly! The control recipe of fresh eggs went together in a snap. A pinch of salt, cream of tartar and sugar join the egg whites in a mixing bowl and produce a meringue in no time. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips and you're on your way. The Just Whites frothed to a glossy meringue in no time and produced a cookie identical to the control. The AllWhites refused to fluff. In fact, the longer we beat the egg whites in a heavy stand mixer the flatter they became. What happened? We called Spiros Gavras, director of marketing for retail products for Papetti Foods. He admitted the company goofed when it introduced the product in 1997. Recipe testing showed that the 100 percent egg white didn't whip - a result of the pasteurization process. ‘It was a learning experience,’ said Gavras. After apologizing and offering refunds to consumers, the company is altering the package. Tester's note: Powdered whites win the day again in this recipe, though the stirring to dissolve is tedious.
• Lemon Meringue Pie a recipe where using separated whole eggs makes sense since the filling calls for the yolks. The Just Whites powder, once dissolved in water in the proper measurements, produced a fluffy meringue that browned a bit darker, with deeper contrasts of white and brown. Not bad at all. As we expected after the meringue cookie failure - but before we knew the reason why, once again the AllWhites refused to cooperate, and only succeeded in splattering everything on the kitchen counter with sticky droplets. Tester's note: For lemon meringue pie, unless health is a primary concern, stick with the fresh eggs. You're going to need the yolks for the filling anyway.”