Florida growers, who account for nearly half of all fresh tomatoes consumed nationwide, have estimated that the FDA’s monthlong warning against their crop cost them millions of dollars in lost sales.
The detective work that led to the Texas border town started with investigators questioning a cluster of people who became ill after eating at the same restaurant, then tracking the produce they had consumed. Agricola Zaragoza, which reportedly had about $600,000 in sales last year, did not return a call for comments.
The FDA said all other samples from the distributor had tested negative for salmonella, but samples are continuing to be analyzed. In addition to jalapenos, the distributor also handles tomatillos.
Though jalapenos are not grown commercially in Florida, there are commercial operations elsewhere on the East Coast. Asked why the FDA would extend its warning to non-Mexican jalapenos, Acheson said peppers contaminated in Texas could easily cross-contaminate peppers further along the distribution chain. “We’ve got to protect the public health with the science we have today,” he said. “We’re pushing this investigation hard and fast to narrow it as quickly as possible.”
Source: TampaBay.com
While nice that they have a place to START LOOKING, it is sad that Florida tomato growers lost millions because the FDA was looking in the wrong place.
