Consumer Affair
Tomato scare is gone, but –
By Sue Mueller
Jul 20, 2008 - 12:43:59 PM

SUNDAY July 20, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Tomatoes may have been off the hook as a suspect as a source for the salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 1000 people, but people still feel the pain.

The warning by the Food and Drug Administration was lifted Thursday. The agency said there is no evidence to suggest tomatoes on the market carry any bacteria associated with the outbreak.   But hot peppers like jalapeno peppers have become the new suspects.

The scary warning against eating raw tomatoes has caused the industry an estimated $100 million loss in sales.   And because of the warning people have changed their view of safety about everyday foods, according to the Associated Press.

The AP along with Ipsos conducted a survey and found that nearly half of food consumers have changed their eating or purchasing habits in the past six months because they fear getting sick by eating tainted foods.

An overwhelming majority of the surveyed said that they supported a better system so that the government could find the source quickly when an outbreak occurs.

Eight six percent in the survey said produce should be labeled in a way that it can be tracked through layers of processors, packers and shippers, all the way back to the producing farms, the AP reported.

Federal health officials said that the outbreak might have a complicated source.   They suspected that tainted tomatoes may have first sickened some people, and they cross contaminated hot peppers on the same farm or a distribution center where both tomatoes and peppers were handled.

A health observer affiliated with foodconsumer.org suggested that food consumers should not overly get scared by the outbreak.   Although all parties in the whole system have the responsibility to sell only the wholesome fruit and vegetables, contamination with pathogens can't be avoided at a rate of 100%.