Thread: FDA Heads To Fla. & Mexico In Salmonella Probe

Jun 20, 2008 4:07 pm US/Eastern

FDA Heads To Fla. & Mexico In Salmonella Probe
552 Cases Have Been Reported So Far
Read More About The Outbreak From The FDA

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ― FDA investigators are heading to Florida and Mexico as part of their salmonella probe involving tainted tomatoes, which has so far reached 552 cases.

Last week the Food And Drug Administration announced that the state had experienced illnesses related to the outbreak of salmonella in certain tomatoes. A Southwest Florida man is the state's first victim tied to raw tomatoes, according to state health dept. officials who said an unidentified man got sick after eating tomatoes during a visit to New York.

Like many packaging plants across the country, DiMare of South Florida had its produce tested and there is no salmonella; nevertheless, the scare has had a severe economic impact on companies.

Charles LaPradd, Miami-Dade agricultural manager, said to CBS4 Reporter Tiffani Helberg that "Our consumers should look for Florida tomatoes."

Certain tomatoes are considered safe no matter where they are grown. That includes cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine and homegrown tomatoes.

Nevertheless, last week parts of Florida—including South Florida— Georgia, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and Vermont were put on alert by the Food and Drug Administration, bringing the number of affected states to 23.

In Florida, tomatoes from Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando or Charlotte counties are safe if they come with a certificate from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Government officials said it's possible that food poisoning contributed to the death of a cancer patient in Texas, involving salmonella.

The Food and Drug Administration still hasn't pinpointed the source of the outbreak. And with the latest known illness striking on June 1, officials also aren't sure if all the tainted tomatoes are off the market.

Consumers who do want to eat fresh tomatoes should cook them to kill any bacteria before consuming them.

http://cbs4.com/local/Tomato.Recall.McD ... 45004.html

FDA UPDATE

Update on the Outbreak

June 19, 2008: At this time, FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following areas that HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTBREAK:

Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte)*
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois New!
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Baja California (Norte), Mexico**
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico

* Shipments of tomatoes harvested in these counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

** Product lots of tomatoes harvested in this State in Mexico are allowed export into the U.S. with a certificate issued by the Secretaria de Fomento Agropecuario del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California (Agency).

Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for that information. If consumers are unable to determine the source of the tomatoes, they should not be eaten.

Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.

Types of tomatoes not linked to any illnesses are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes with the vine still attached.

Since mid April, there have been 552 reported cases of salmonellosis nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon form of Salmonella. At least 53 hospitalizations have been reported. Investigation of Outbreak of Infections Caused by Salmonella Saintpaul (CDC) [en Español]

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/ ... l#outbreak

Well this did not tell us anything new or what they are really doing to locate the source.

I wonder what the odds are of them being from Mexico.

FDA inspectors head to Florida, Mexico

Associated Press - June 20, 2008 5:43 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of illnesses linked to salmonella-tainted tomatoes has grown, just as investigators may be closer to learning how the contamination occurred.

A government tally of confirmed cases now stands at 552 illnesses in 32 states, sending the outbreak into record territory.

Meanwhile, Food and Drug Administration inspectors have been sent to farms in Florida and Mexico today. There's word that they will pay special attention to big packing houses or distribution warehouses that handle tomatoes from many farms.

The FDA isn't yet saying where in Florida and Mexico the hunt is centered. But officials emphasize that the clues don't necessarily mean that a particular farm will turn out to be the culprit.

Copyright

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=8532990

Originally Posted by jp_48504

I wonder what the odds are of them being from Mexico.

Believe it was reported something like 82% of the tomatoes consumed in the U.S. are from Mexico.