SALMONELLA IN YOUR SPICE RACK?

  when people hear salmonella, they think of the dangers of seafood, raw chicken and eggs and food poisoning, but who knew it could be in your spices. According to a new report by the FDA, salmonella is found in a number of popular dried spices, most commonly in imported varieties that come from 37 countries — especially Mexico and India, the most typical offenders are oregano, basil, curry powder, sesame seeds, and pepper. It’s not just imported spices that carry risks. Domestic varieties have been linked to salmonella outbreaks too, and the bacteria has been known to infect spice mixes and salt-substitute blends. It shows up slightly more frequently in ground or cracked spices than in whole spices.
A 2010 salmonella outbreak in the U. S. was traced to contaminated black and red pepper. But since salmonella can survive in dried spices for years on end, it can often be tough to link outbreaks of illness that happen years apart.
So, for people who love spices in their foods, go through your spice collection and throw out the ones that have been sitting around for too long and turn up that heat.