# I Think I Ate At Sam n Ella's Cafe **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 17, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712 "2010-03-17T00:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/1 "2010-03-17T00:54:15Z")
So yesterday I went to the grocery store, and the self-checkout alerted me at the end of the transaction to check the bottom of my receipt for an important message! So I check it, and it informed me that I may have purchased one of the tons of food items that have been found to be tainted with salmonella via it’s hydrolyzed vegetable protein. This product, in my case (thanks, frequent shopper card!), was frozen shredded beef taquitos. Looking back, ah, I remember it well. It was December 22, just before Christmas, and I was home alone for dinner. I thought, oh how convenient that I have this frozen shredded beef taquito product here in my freezer- I’ll just have some of those. Within four hours I was sicker than maybe I’ve ever been, with regards to vomiting and diarrhea. Bloody diarrhea, even. Worse dehydration I’ve ever experienced. By sunrise the next morning it was gone and I was one weak tired mofo. That sucked. Could be a coincidence, but I think not. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/2 "2010-03-17T02:44:39Z")
I got the same message this past Sunday informing me that I had purchased a can of the recalled Pringles chips. It even stated on bought the chips on the 7th of February. I ate some of the chips on the 8th. I was sicker than a dog on the 9th. It took me a few days to recover. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/3 "2010-03-17T03:12:46Z")
The number of people potentially affected boggles the mind. I went to the grocery store again today for a fair amount of groceries, and I did and will be in the future buying much less processed food and way more fresh food that I have to prepare… healthier all the way around! ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/4 "2010-03-17T03:50:53Z")
We had a phone call from the grocery store the other day letting us know that something we had purchased was being recalled. I can’t actually remember what it was - something we ate weeks ago with no problems. It kind of freaked me out that they called me. I mean, I know that they’re gathering all sorts of information every time I make a purchase, but it was a little stalker-ish that they actually called me. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/5 "2010-03-17T04:04:29Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The number of people potentially affected boggles the mind. > > I went to the grocery store again today for a fair amount of groceries, and I did and will be in the future buying much less processed food and way more fresh food that I have to prepare… healthier all the way around! Well, if it’s salmonella your’e concerned about, [you might want to stay away from all fresh produce](http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2627). > [@](#): > > **Fruits, Veggies Now Linked to Most Major Salmonella Cases** > by Brendan Coyne > Nov. 23, 2005 – In an analysis that raises more questions about the safety of food-processing and food-handling regulations in the United States, a public-health advocacy organization this week revealed that the most widespread and dangerous Salmonella outbreaks in the nation are now being caused by produce that has come in contact with byproducts of the meat, poultry and fishing industries. > According to data compiled by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a health and food-safety advocacy group, produce-associated Salmonella outbreaks have been traced to lettuce, melons, sprouts, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Between 1990 and 2003, contaminated produce has triggered at least 554 food-poisoning outbreaks, with about a fifth of those coming from Salmonella. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/6 "2010-03-17T04:21:18Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Well, if it’s salmonella your’e concerned about, [you might want to stay away from all fresh produce](http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2627). Oh yeah- now I remember it was all over the news a while back, but I haven’t heard anything lately about produce being tainted. I don’t ever want to experience what I went through again… maybe I’ll just drink radiated Ensure, just to be safe. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/7 "2010-03-17T08:21:38Z")
Isn’t salmonella killed by cooking? I can imagine the problem with raw eggs and such. Deadly frozen taquitos? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/8 "2010-03-17T08:33:47Z")
What I meant is, I’m not gonna chew on em frozen, Won’t cooking kill it? ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Salt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@Bacon\_Salt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Salt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/9 "2010-03-17T10:07:08Z")
Merely heating for three minutes on high until hot, piping hot, even? No. Cooking until the internal temperature hits 167° for 10 minutes? Probably. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/10 "2010-03-17T10:17:31Z")
> [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > What I meant is, I’m not gonna chew on em frozen, Won’t cooking kill it? The problem is that in the microwaves, the temperature may be uneven. Most of the food was probably nuked to appropiate temps, but perhaps a spot in the center didn’t get cooked through. If the food is heavily contaminated, that spot can still contain enough bacteria to cause damage. Add to that that many people do not pay close attention to the heating instructions, heat until they think it is “hot enough”, or even eat it cold. As to the OP, the timeline reads a bit off for Salmonella, but can still happen with other organisms. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/11 "2010-03-17T10:25:50Z")
Plus some items that had the tainted flavoring added can’t be cooked and weren’t during the production process, either; one of the first-recalled items was a brand of cold dips. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/12 "2010-03-17T12:06:32Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Plus some items that had the tainted flavoring added can’t be cooked and weren’t during the production process, either; one of the first-recalled items was a brand of cold dips. That’s what the grocery store called us about! Dean’s French Onion dip. We got it for the Superbowl, so it was long gone. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/13 "2010-03-17T16:29:42Z")
I was thinking maybe the timeline was too short for salmonella, but then I have a very sensitive system, and the bloody diarrhea’s a big sign… either way, ever since then I have a little nagging feeling that I could have died from that, it was soooo bad. Anyway, I do try very hard to cook frozen food even more than it needs to be, ever since they decided that the consumer is more responsible for frozen food safety than the manufacturer is, a few months back. Now, we are expected to stick a food thermometer in several different places, to make sure it’s over 160… who the hell does that?? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/14 "2010-03-17T16:49:02Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Now, we are expected to stick a food thermometer in several different places, to make sure it’s over 160… who the hell does that?? How, exactly, is the manufacturer supposed to ensure that you properly heat your food? It’s the \*nature \*of the microwave to heat unevenly. Microwaves are about convenience, not safety. If you want consistent heating, use the oven. ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/15 "2010-03-17T18:10:47Z")
> [@C3](#): > > That’s what the grocery store called us about! Dean’s French Onion dip. We got it for the Superbowl, so it was long gone. If you had french onion dip left over from the Superbowl, I would have recommended not eating it anyways, recall or not. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/16 "2010-03-17T18:14:48Z")
Nasty stuff. Mrs. Taco had salmonella when she gave birth to our 2nd son. He got it and it made for some very tense times when we didn’t know if we’d lose him or not. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/17 "2010-03-19T04:12:42Z")
That cafe is the worst. The waitstaff is rude, and there’s always something strange in my food. Still, they have the best raw cookie dough sundae around. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/18 "2010-03-19T14:19:38Z")
You know, I figured the title of this thread was a euphemism or reference I was missing. I \*just now \*got the pun. :smack: Bear with me–it’s been a long week. :o ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/19 "2010-03-19T20:27:48Z")
You people are wusses! When I was a kid it was normal to eat garbage we found on the street corner and if we complained we were just told to stay in the restroom because we didn’t want to miss the toilet. These words of wisdom came in useful when I bought a diseased bird and nearly wiped out a Hippie commune. Since the restroom was several yards from our hut I was able to escape the commune undetected. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712/20 "2010-03-21T18:13:27Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The number of people potentially affected boggles the mind. Yep. [Here’s the list](http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/salmonellaprotbe.shtml) of things recalled (so far) in Canada. It doesn’t include things that are cooked, though from this thread, perhaps it should. We had a huge bag of the Hawaiian chips at the office last month; I went home with a headache almost every day that week, and skipped dinner twice in favour of bed due to feeling unwell. (I’m _guessing_ that was the reason, though it was nothing like the time I missed 3 days of work due to eating the cafeteria meatloaf. :o) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-ate-at-sam-n-ellas-cafe/532712.md?page=2)