Tomatoes may not be source of salmonella

[Pony]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,6143539.story
Tomatoes may not be source of salmonella
Without a positive match, FDA keeping 'open mind'

By Tiffany Hsu | Chicago Tribune Newspapers
June 28, 2008

As the number of cases in an ongoing salmonella outbreak climbed past 800 on Friday, federal health officials said they might never find the cause—and that tomatoes might not be the culprit after all.

Though fresh tomatoes have a "strong association" with many of the cases and remain a top suspect, health officials have not confirmed that the fruit carried the rare Salmonella Saintpaul strain.

Of 1,700 domestic and international tomato samples collected so far, none have tested positive, said David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods with the Food and Drug Administration.

Officials would not divulge if, or what, other produce was being seriously investigated, only saying they would "continue to keep an open mind about the possible source."

Just thought I'd share. Makes you wonder what those sick people really have, and whose head is going to roll over the whole situation.

Pony!

[crafty2002]

I am not sure what the cause is but the cost of tomatoes around here went threw the roof. Which may end up helping me out becuase I have about 30 or more plants out there now that are loaded with them. I also have I think 14 more plants about ready to go out and two 72 cell trays started that should brake ground any day now.
A friend bought two tomatoes the other day and said they cost hin $2.38.
If what I have coming in now makes it OK, which looks like they will so far, I would be happy to sell them 2 for a buck.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by crafty2002

I am not sure what the cause is but the cost of tomatoes around here went threw the roof.

A local grower's demand for tomatoes suddenly went sky high, but he hadn't anticipated it so he doesn't have enough to supply his regular customers and bunches of new ones too. I think he said in the local TV interview that he only has 70 plants.

The grocery store isn't hardly selling any, so tomato prices there have bottomed out, and the displays have shrunk drastically.

[ldc]

When I saw the 1st report on this, on tv, the camera briefly flickered over the washing vat in a packing house. The liquid that the toms were being "washed" in, was completely black, viscous, and nasty looking. I know commercial toms are treated with mold retardants etc; but this "cleaning" just looked dirty. That was early in the story, but it made me wonder about the chemical solutions that are being used on our veg! ldc

[crafty2002]

Originally Posted by ladycat

A local grower's demand for tomatoes suddenly went sky high, but he hadn't anticipated it so he doesn't have enough to supply his regular customers and bunches of new ones too. I think he said in the local TV interview that he only has 70 plants.

The grocery store isn't hardly selling any, so tomato prices there have bottomed out, and the displays have shrunk drastically.

I am not prepared by a long shot but if this last into the late summer or fall I will be. I have some plastic pipe I ripped in half last year I am going to make some hoop houses over the tomatoes and peppers when fall gets too cold for then anyway.
And enough plastic to cover up either 4 rows or 8 rows if it will reach far enough to cover two rows each. I hope I hope I hope.

[whiterabbit454]

well good luck all with your tomatoes i wonder also how everyone got sick it just shows how fragile our food supply is thanks for sharring the news article

They've all but blown the bottom out of the Florida tomato industry and now they say that tomatoes may not have been the culprit after all.

.....Alan.

[ladycat]

Or maybe tomatoes are the source.

This whole thing is getting crazy!

The Salmonella Culprit: Cold Water?

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...eed-cnn-topics

Tomato 'repacking' vexes salmonella trackers

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BA9611GFS7.DTL

[Pony]

Originally Posted by A.T. Hagan

They've all but blown the bottom out of the Florida tomato industry and now they say that tomatoes may not have been the culprit after all.

.....Alan.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, Alan. <sigh>

Wonder how many other food industries will get this sort of treatment...

Pony!

[ladycat]

Tomatoes are moving back into the stores and restaurants.

This is a local news story, and if you watch the video, the supermarket they show near the beginning and end of the story is the actual supermarket where I shop.

http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=9081

By the way, I saw a news story yesterday that said something about most of the salmonella cases had been found in people who had eaten at Mexican restaurants, so authorities are now testing other types of produce that are commonly served with tomatoes in Mexican restaurants. They haven't found a trace of salmonella in any tomatoes that they have tested.