You Ask, I Answer: Cilantro

I have heard that something in cilantro is supposed to help prevent food borne illness?

-- Kristin
(via the blog)

A few years ago, food scientists discovered a compound in cilantro (this includes fresh leaves as well seeds, more commonly known as coriander) called dodecenal which was found to be quite effective at killing the Salmonella virus.

That is not to say, however, that cilantro guarantees you a foodborne illness-free meal.

Turns out you need to eat the same amount (weight wise) of cilantro as the offending food to offset food poisoning.

So, if your six-ounce chicken breast contains salmonella, you would theoretically need to eat six ounces of cilantro to experience any protective effects.

A fun fact, nevertheless!

You Ask, I Answer: Salmonella in Peanut Butter

Okay, [I always thought] salmonella is usually [related to eating] eggs or meat.

Peanut butter is primarily three things: peanuts, oil, salt.

Sometimes [they add] sugar or another sweetener.

How, then, does salmonella end up in peanut butter?

-- Corey Clark
(Location withheld)

The ingredient list can even be shorter! Remember, many brands of peanut butter consist of nothing but peanuts.

Your question -- which is excellent, by the way -- is one that many food safety experts are asking themselves (while vividly remembering the eerily similar E.Coli-infested spinach outbreak of 2007.)

Part of the issue here is that the United States does not have one central agency overseeing issues of food safety.

Consequently, sources of contamination are hard to track and contain.

Additionally, most of the focus on food safety (from random inspections to consistent monitoring) is relegated to meat processing plants, as they are considered "high risk" operations.

In short, the vague answer to your question is: "unsanitary plant conditions."

This could mean anything from animal feces somehow ending up in the peanut butter (think a bird or two somehow getting inside the facility) or dirty equipment being used in the processing of peanut butter.

What is practically a given is that the contamination had to have occurred after the roasting and grinding process (both of these use extremely high temperatures that kill all strands of the salmonella virus.)