July 7, 2008

Focus of Salmonella Investigation Moves Away from Tomatoes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has backed away from earlier statements that pointed to tomatoes as the cause of a nationwide Salmonella saintpaul outbreak that has sickened more than 940 people. FDA still believes tomatoes to be the likely cause, and the agency’s Web site still recommends consumers eat only tomatoes grown in areas deemed safe.

The initial investigation indicated that raw red, roma or plum tomatoes carried the rare strain of salmonella, and in mid-June FDA had identified three Mexican counties and part of Florida as the source of the tomatoes. Agents tested and inspected the growing and supply chain of the tomatoes from those areas, but no positive samples have been reported.

Illnesses began between April 10 through June 26, according to CDC, with about one in four cases occurring after June 1. The agency reported that many of those sickened ate at restaurants, and a cluster of illnesses in Texas has led the agency to investigate other food items that are commonly consumed with tomatoes.

The Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association have sent two letters to the director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the department that oversees both CDC and FDA, requesting a meeting to discuss the outbreak investigation and ways to improve the system. To date, the department has not responded to the request.

For more information on the outbreak investigation, check back to www.freshcut.com, visit the FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html or CDC’s Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/.





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