Feds list safe tomatoes

Last Edited: Friday, 06 Jun 2008, 8:51 PM MDT
Created: Friday, 06 Jun 2008, 8:51 PM MDT

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ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) -The New Mexico Environment Department continues to try to narrow down the source of a salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes.

So far 48 New Mexicans have gotten sick, and several more cases are possible.

Many restaurants have stopped serving the raw fruit that usually plays a starring role in many New Mexican foods including salsa.

Most of the restaurant managers interviewed by KRQE News 13 today said not to worry. The salsa will still be on the menu and will be safe to eat.

Like many restaurants, Monroe's uses canned tomatoes for its salsa, not the fresh tomatoes that have been linked to the salmonella outbreak.

Monroe's and several other restaurants have stopped serving raw tomatoes.

El Pinto is not serving raw tomatoes but salsa is still available. Sadie's is serving some organic tomatoes and cooked salsa.

And for now there are no tomatoes at Sweet Tomatoes restaurants. A manager said the chain has pulled all tomatoes from the salad bar.

Matthew Diaz with Monroe's said his downtown restaurant usually goes through about three cases of tomatoes each week. But now the fresh tomatoes are in the trash.

And the restaurant is relying on canned tomatoes to fill in any gaps in the recipes.

"It's our responsibility as restaurant owners to err on the side of caution to look out for customer safety as much as it is to serve great food," Diaz said.

State Department of Health officials think the tainted tomatoes may have originated in Mexico.

Also today the federal Food and Drug Administration released a list of tomato-producing states and countries not associated with the outbreak.

The FDA said grape and cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold still on the vine are safe to eat.

In all 86 people in 11 states have gotten sick. The majority are in New Mexico and Texas.

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