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During an FDA/CDC press conference this afternoon, the agencies reported the number of illnesses reaching 552 persons in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Latest onset date of illness is June 10.
FDA said they had completed two tracks of trace back, mapping the pathway from consumer to the farm. The agency said they are now also looking at the whole distribution chain, beginning at the farm level this weekend in Mexico and Florida.
FDA said their advice to consumers, retailers and foodservice remains the same - tomatoes are safe from the safe-to-eat areas as posted on the FDA web site. The FDA still considers the outbreak to be ongoing.
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.
