More than two months after the salmonella outbreak began, the investigation to determine its source has taken a new twist. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have now expanded their investigation to include other produce commonly served with tomatoes.
But tomatoes have not been cleared, David Acheson, FDA's associate commissioner for foods, said Tuesday in a conference call.
"The tomato trail is still hot. It's just a question of whether other items are getting hotter," he said.
Growers in Manatee County, Florida's No. 1 tomato producing area, say they are angered by the damage done to their industry by the inconclusive FDA inquiry.
"I really think that what Katrina did to FEMA, this salmonella issue is going to do the FDA. They are going to have to learn to be much more prudent in ringing the alarm bell until they determine the source of whatever contamination they may be dealing with," said Bob Spencer of West Coast Tomato.
So far, more than 850 cases have popped up in 36 states. About 100 people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.
Because the most recently reported case was June 20, investigators are taking a look at other types of produce normally served with tomatoes.
The FDA official declined to say what produce is now on the look list, saying it would be "irresponsible" to prematurely release information on the expanded investigation.
What continues to be the focus is the entire production process - from the farm to the consumer. Several scenarios being explored by the FDA could have contributed to the outbreak: The produce could have been contaminated through a water source on a single farm or shared by a few farms; contamination could have occurred at a common distribution, packing or shipping site; or one or more products could have come in contact with the produce to cause cross-contamination.
A Food Emergency Response Network, created after Sept. 11, 2001, to allow for more flexibility in testing, has been activated that includes labs that would help with testing a wider range of food, Acheson said. As many as 100 labs are potential partners in the network.
Even though tomatoes have been given "strong association" with the outbreak, the FDA has not proven that they are the cause. Of 1,700 tomato samples, all tested negative for strains of the rare Salmonella Saintpaul strain.
Outraged by the lagging uncertainty, local growers continue to count their losses and tread toward the future with a tarnished reputation.
"The reality is that they have yet to find one tainted tomato, and yet they went forth and started making these pronouncements and casting doubt on an entire industry," said Spencer. "My concern is that when they want to go under these type of pronouncement, they need to make sure of what they're talking about. They thought they did and they did not."
Tomato harvesting season may be winding down for local growers, but the fallout to the tomato industry brought on by the Food and Drug Administration's investigation of salmonella outbreak is far from over.
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