Government inspectors finally have a big clue in the nationwide salmonella outbreak: A single Mexico-grown jalapeno pepper handled by a small Texas produce shipper. ...more

July 21, 2008

The tomato scare may be over, but it has taken a toll: It's cost the industry an estimated $100 million and left millions of people with a new wariness about the safety of everyday foods. ...more

July 19, 2008

It's OK to eat all kinds of tomatoes again, the U.S. government declared Thursday - lifting its salmonella warning on the summer favorites amid signs that the record outbreak, while not over, may be slowing. ...more

July 18, 2008

Inspectors are collecting soil, water and produce samples, reviewing export logs and combing packing plants in three major tomato-growing states in Mexico. ...more

July 6, 2008

Now that tomatoes have been declared safe to eat, it's time to dig in and enjoy. ...more

July 3, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY -- There continues to be a lot of misinformation about alleged salmonella contamination of tomatoes, says a Pasco-based home economist, but she offering advice on how to cope. "There is a lot of information coming out in newspapers and on television and it changes almost daily," Betsy Crisp, a family and consumer sciences specialist with Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service, said in a press release. ...more

June 23, 2008

The United States has cleared tomatoes in 28 of 31 Mexican states from suspicion in a recent salmonella outbreak, a move that drew praise from Mexican officials Saturday. ...more

June 22, 2008

Even though federal officials now say certain areas of the state are safe, Florida tomato growers are feeling the effects of the recent salmonella outbreak with fields of tomatoes still to be picked. ...more

June 21, 2008

Federal investigators plan to descend on tomato farms, warehouses and packing sheds in Florida and Mexico today to search for the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has now sickened 552 people in 32 states and the District of Columbia. ...more

June 21, 2008

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is reaching out to growers, distributors and retailers of Florida-grown tomatoes to help restore confidence in the state's tomato crop. In an effort to assist with the sale of Florida tomatoes now that the areas in production have been declared safe, the department will offer "Fresh from Florida" labels and/or point of purchase materials upon request. Anyone involved in the production or sale of Florida tomatoes can call the Division of Marketing and Development at 850-488-9948 or e-mail mailto:fapc@doacs.state.fl.us. The logos are also temporarily being placed on the department's Web site, www.florida-agriculture.com, for distributors and retailers to download. There will be no charge for the requested materials or for shipping. The material will be available for 10 days. For continued use of the "Fresh from Florida" logo, businesses are encouraged to contact the Division of Marketing and Development for information about Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC) membership. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration put the areas of Florida currently in tomato production on the "safe to eat" list indicating they could not be the source of a salmonella outbreak that has impacted predominantly western states. Tomato harvesting is currently under way in the Quincy, Palmetto and Ruskin areas. ...more

June 14, 2008