Salmonella Tomato Origin May Never be Known

Jun 19, 2008

Federal officials are now saying they may never know

the source of the latest salmonella tainted tomatoes. So many things come to mind as I scan through the latest news or should I say lack of "news".

In addition to today’s news flash that the origin may never be found, the FDA continues to add States to the safe list, free of Salmonella tomatoes.

Is there something very wrong here or is it just me?

1. Why is the FDA testing tomatoes out of Florida, after some officials (well one terminal produce wholesaler president on TV comes to mind) have said tomatoes out of Florida are safe to eat?
2. Why is Northern Florida on the safe to eat list?
3. If you owned the farm where the tainted tomatoes were produced, do you think after several months you would have destroyed or dumped the evidence?
4. What are political leaders doing about this?

It’s all too confusing, even for me. Too many questions and very few answers.

What we do know is the FDA knows little as more people continue to be sickened. I think and other officials know its getting pretty late in the back tracking game to find the genetic fingerprint.

This week the FDA was attacked by a House panel for its handling of recent food-safety violations.

A White House official said the administration is forming a panel on import safety to be chaired by HHSS secretary Mike Leavitt.

"Speaking on condition of anonymity because the group has not been announced, the official said the panel will look for deficiencies and gaps in the system for inspecting imported products and report to President Bush within 60 days. The official said the panel is not aimed solely at China".

Sounds like something I have spent years pounding the table for.

Last week I spoke to an aide of Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee.

I offered my expertise in the matter of food safety…..

All I can add at this time is my tomato plants are doing fine and I will patiently wait until they bare fruit to eat a raw tomatoes again.

TO BE CONTINUED.