Mexico urges end of tainted tomato probe
Jun. 12, 2008 11:14 AM
Bloomberg

Mexico, the largest supplier of tomatoes to the United States, urged the U.S. to finish its investigation of salmonella-tainted tomatoes that have sickened 167 people since April.

The investigation has slowed the sale of Mexican tomatoes to the U.S., according to an e-mail statement from Mexico's Agriculture Ministry.

About 84 percent of tomatoes the U.S. imports are from Mexico, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared 23 states, Puerto Rico and parts of Florida based on harvesting times and shipping patterns.

Canada and five other countries have been ruled out. Several states in the southwestern U.S., where the outbreak originated, and Mexico have not been cleared.

U.S. growers, which sell about $1.4 billion worth of tomatoes a year, have criticized the pace of the investigation.

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