 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
> Home
> What's New?
FDA recently updated its warning to consumers nationwide concerning the outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul. FDA claims that information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that not only tomatoes, but also raw jalapeno and serrano peppers and fresh cilantrao may be linked to illnesses in this continuing outbreak.
Since April, 1167 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2 persons), Arkansas (14), Arizona (54), California (9), Colorado (15), Connecticut (4), Florida (2), Georgia (28), Idaho (6), Illinois (104), Indiana (16), Iowa (2), Kansas (18), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (32), Massachusetts (26), Michigan (21), Minnesota (19), Mississippi (2), Missouri (17), New Hampshire (4), Nevada (11), New Jersey (12), New Mexico (102), New York (32), North Carolina (22), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (25), Oregon (10), Pennsylvania (12), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (8), Texas (449), Utah (2), Virginia (31), Vermont (2), Washington (17), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (13), and the District of Columbia (1). Four ill persons are reported from Canada; all four appear to have been infected while traveling in the United States. The latest onset date of illness is July 4, 2008.
For latest information, please visit the following links:
FDA - http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html
CDC - http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/
800 Trafalgar Court, Suite 300
Maitland, FL 32751
Telephone (407) 660-1949
Fax (407) 660-1656
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AFTER BEING ADDED TO FDA'S "SAFE TO EAT" LIST
Industry estimates economic losses could add up to more than $500 million
MAITLAND, Fla. (June 11, 2008) - Florida's tomato growers enthusiastically welcomed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's announcement that consumers are clear to eat tomatoes harvested in 19 Florida counties. The counties encompass the Ruskin-Palmetto and Quincy areas of the state, Florida's prime tomato-producing regions.
The FDA said the following counties are not associated with the outbreak of salmonella saintpaul: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, Desoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando and Charlotte.
"This allows us to get Florida tomatoes back into supermarkets and restaurants and to move forward in rebuilding consumer confidence in safe, healthy produce," said Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. "Our growers are working overtime to get their products back into the marketplace."
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with the FDA to get the counties added to the "safe to eat" list. Growers will provide a certificate issued by the state with each shipment of tomatoes verifying they were harvested after May 1. The Tomato Growers Exchange urges restaurants and supermarkets to contact their shippers for more information.
The losses already incurred by the state's tomato industry during the outbreak are major. Growers estimate that ultimately the economic impact will be more than $500 million.
"Until now, the market has been in complete collapse. Crops have remained in fields, packinghouses and in the distribution system," Brown said. "The losses are staggering."
No illnesses linked to Salmonella saintpaul have been reported in the Southeast, a primary destination for Florida tomatoes this time of year. "It's unfortunate that anyone has become ill. However, we've had confidence in our tomatoes all along - we just had to wait for FDA and the CDC to do their trace-back work," Brown said.
The Florida tomato industry remains committed to the production of a safe product. Florida is the first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive food safety program with mandatory government inspection and audit of its tomatoes. "Those involved in the growing and marketing of fresh tomatoes voluntarily incorporate food safety as part of their everyday business practices," he said. "We're committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure consumer confidence in our crops."
CONTACT:
Lisa Lochridge
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
(321) 214-5200
Lisa.lochridge@ffva.com
MAITLAND, FL (June 9, 2008) - Florida's tomato growers express concern to those who have become ill during the recent outbreak. Even though FDA has not issued a recall for any of our tomatoes, we continue to pledge our full cooperation and assistance in helping all of the appropriate authorities determine the source of the outbreak as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the current outbreak continues to negatively impact our businesses and the jobs of our employees. Florida tomato growers urge the FDA and CDC to determine the source of the outbreak as rapidly as possible.
The Florida tomato industry is committed to the production of a safe product. In fact, Florida is the first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive food safety program with mandatory government inspection and audit of its tomatoes.
