Posted on 06/14/2008 5:47:48 AM PDT by BloodOrFreedom
Parts of Florida and Mexico were supplying "the vast majority" of tomatoes sold when the salmonella outbreak began in April and thus remain leading suspects, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
But the FDA hasn't narrowed its hunt to just those two places, said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's food safety chief.
"The logical assumption would be that Florida or Mexico are the most likely source" because of the outbreak's timing, he told The Associated Press. "But we have not simply shifted the focus to those two places. ... It's wide open for anybody not on that exclusion list."
The government counts 228 illnesses in 23 states linked to salmonella-tainted tomatoes, and is urging consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that FDA has cleared of suspicion. Check FDA's Web site — http://www.fda.gov — for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
ATTN: If at your local supermarket you view a mexican invader who passes up on the tomatoes: DO NOT BUY. They are probably privvy to info that you are not
If Florida is one of the culprits, why no salmonella outbreak here then? Just a few days ago the same FDA declared all Florida tomatoes safe. I think since Florida is #1 tomato grower in the country they added it to the list so Mexico won’t have a fit over single finger pointing.
I thought I heard on the radio several days ago that the FDA had cleared Florida.
Maybe I “mis-heard.” :)
IMHO, when this is over, and if the FDA is honest, the tomatoes will have come from Mexico and they will discover Mexicans taking a dump in the fields is the source.
This is Florida's peek season for tomotoes and the growers were starting to hurt bigtime over this ....
..Florida was given the 'all clear'...
...but Mexico...hmmm
That's why FDA has not yet identified a spot source to examine.
I'd first isolate all the produce terminals that handle tomatoes from both Mexico and Florida.
This would be consistent with the methodology used for a couple of "ricin attacks" in the mail. Someone in LEO simply call the Postal Inspectors about the identities of the suspect drivers, managers, and trminals used in those attacks.
aided by the filth column, our supermarkets.
The first time I saw this (sewage and vegetables) in the MSM was a NY Times article ten years ago. Raw sewage was used to irrigate fields growing vegetables. Photos with the article showed workers standing in ankle-deep sewage covering the field. Even if clean water was used to wash the vegetables the sewage would be inside the vegetables. I have not knowingly bought anything grown in Mexicorruption since then.
Smart move. In my family, we buy tomatoes that are grown in NJ.
About 15 yrs ago we were having trouble with a pepper weevil. It burrows into the pod so there is no killing them, The USDA and NMDA sent out letters, if pepper weevils were found in one of your fields you would be required to destroy the crop. Yeah, like you’d tell on yourself.
Everyone knew the weevil was coming in from Mexico but they never stopped the trucks.
I'm confused...wouldn't the government proclaim Mexico Tomatoes "safe" if they were trying to appease the Mexican go'vt and invaders? Maybe I'm reading this the wrong way...
We do the same, we try getting all the produce from the local growers (thankfully, I live in Florida) and the rest from WholeFoods who always disclaims the source of the produce so it’s easy to stick to US products. Moreso, WF also buys from the local growers first before bringing produce from other states so it adds to helping further the local farmers.
I am sure NAFTA is making this now even easier.
500,000th site visited.
FDA nears finding cause of 2008 salmonella problem
Fears offending Mexico. "What's a few sick people?"
E. Overshoe, North Dakota. Black FDA SUVs and helicopters swarmed onto the property at this subdivision home. Neighbors reported remembering the couple living there in 2008 had tomato plants in "a kind of glass shed" . . . .
Good to hear. So many farmers go out of business as they are undercut by larger establishments and pushed out by the high cost of business. Around where I live, most of the farmers have sold out to the large developers. There are 2 new developments and a golf course being constructed in my town presently
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/06/florida-pols-wa.html
June 13, 2008
Florida pols seek FDA help on safe tomatoes
More than a dozen members of Congress from Florida have sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach asking that his agency do a better job of telling consumers that Florida tomatoes are OK.
Although tomatoes from 19 Florida counties have been cleared in the recent salmonella scare, boxes of them are rotting on loading docks because consumers don’t know they’re safe to eat, they write. They ask for a detailed plan, including timeframes, for how he plans to proceed.
The letter notes that Florida is the nation’s largest producer of tomatoes, and during the six- to seven-month season the industry employs 30,000 people. The crop is worth $500-million to $700-million.
Posted by Wes Allison at 3:06:48 PM on June 13, 2008
in U.S. House
Hallelujah! Putting pressure on a politicized FDA is good....
That's okay. It's nice to know of more dealers where quality food can be purchased...I am in NJ, do they have a website?
Who needs the FDA... could have told you where the tainted tomatoes came from the first day the story broke...
I’ve long been in the habit of blanching tomatoes, because the Mexican tomatoes are picked so early, their skins are tough.
It’s easy, just dip each tomato in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, turning over at 30 seconds. The skin comes right off.
That should eliminate any salmonella problem. Then you can slice or chop the skinless tomato. If you are really concerned, add a splash of Tabasco sauce and stir the chopped tomato a bit. It will take out any remaining bacteria.
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