6 new tainted tomato cases confirmed in NYC

maybe if the FDA actually goes over the border to Mexico and checks these 80% of our present tomato crop they will finally find it? Nope sorry more lame excuses as is usual for them now.

How many cases were reported ??
Out of how many "gazillion" people, and tomatoes on this planet.??????????????
NOT many.
The news media's way of "sensationalism-ism" to make an erupting volcano out of a moll hill.
They have nothing better to do , it was a slow "news" day.
If most of you so called "intelligent" people , would get out of your "plastic bubble's"
Turn off the air, and the purifiers, take a walk say "hay" to a neighbor , or a stranger.
You will be healthier and wiser too.
Geez you might contact some "germs , and bacteria, and build up and immunity to all the "news media's" sensational plagues, and disasters.
Please give me back my right to purchase and consume what ever I want.
---------Jadded Jonny

Why is it that the US always blames theire @!$%# on Mexico?

check out the list of OK tomato growing locations. The only major supplier that isn't listed is Mexico. No surprise there. The FDA wouldn't want to do anything that might make NAFTA look bad.

BUY ONTARIO, CANADA GROWN HOTHOUSE (GREENHOUSE) TOMATO'S - BEST TOMATO'S ON THE MARKET AS WELL AS FOOD SAFE!!!

MUCCIPAC.CA

Isn't this really just a few cases of people not rinsing their fruit and/or bad food prep practices?

Getting an answer asking where the cause of these outbreaks originated is like getting the FDA to admit they are out to destoy everything natural. (Even though the truth is obvious, it is not going to happen)

I say bring back the homestead act and let more people grow their own foods and keep the dictatorship agencies out of the peoples choice as to what they eat and drink.

When was the last time you heard the FDA claim natural foods are better then manipulated or altered food?(Like my above parenthetical insert, It is not going to happen)

Kerry

There are natural tomato's in the market place from greenhouses that are, pesticide free, herbicide free, wax free and not genetically modified....

www.muccipac.ca

the great NAFTA experiment

Yes, we have no Tomatoes, we have no Tomatoes today.

As a grower of produce, most producers have to undergo an annual GAP (general agricultural practices) certification audit to be able to sell to major food chains such as Publix, Walmart etc. This procedure is very detailed and involves obtaining water samples tested for e coli, etc. You also have to provide logs providing safety and hygiene procedures used in the fields and in the packing facility, providing chemicals & fertilizers used, etc. There numerous logs that have to be maintained show that you have ample portable toilet facilities in the fields / packing shed, that workers can't work if ill and in many cases use gloves when handling the produce. Most produce is also sanitized while being sorted and before being boxed.

Another major issue is that your product has tracebility!!! So I am wondering why the people that require this very involved procedure that should lead to being able to trace where any tainted produce comes from can't be more specific in determining where these tomatoes came from!

Yes accidents can happen but if resturants, consumers etc were washing produce purchased properly this could be avoided.

American farmers work very hard to maintain a high quality product. The costs associated is extremely high and is a 24 hour 7 day a week job. And then we have our governement not holding fruits and vegetables imported to the USA to the sames standards. We can only use certain chemicals labeled to be used on certain crops.....good idea. But other countries can use any chemical, fertilizer, human waste and it's okay. Plus get it cheaper that we can in our own country!

Most of the tomatoes grown are not tainted.... only a small percentage compared to the amount produced and sold. But because the FDA refuses to use traceibility the tomatoe market has dropped and many tomatoe producers have no other market in which to sell their crop. Which means good tomatoes sitting in a cooler rotting and the large amount of money required to produce the crop is lost.

This is why we shouldn't be importing most of our food. They were already able to check Florida and know it's not them, so it's our imports... big freaking surprise. Grow here, where we have control of what we are getting. I for one, would much rather buy less, at more expense, knowing my children aren't going to die from food poisoning and that I'm helping employ people in my own country, than save some money to take these risks at someone else's gain. Wow, the old way actually worked.

If in fact the tomatoes in question are imports from Mexico, I think it's about time we bail out of buying their food products altogether. They, just like China could care less what bacteria, or contaminants are on their products, all they want is the good ol' American dollar in their hands. They also know that they can get away with it, because they know that the FDA rarely does a darn thing about it. It's a fact that in Mexico, they use all sorts of chemicals, and insecticides long ago banned by the US. I know this, as I have many friends in Arizona and California that are growers of food products, and it costs them an arm and a leg to abide by how Uncle Sam wants it done, yet the Mexicans freely export tons of produce just loaded with bad stuff, and The FDA just turns their back on it. Not only does Mexico and other countries take away from the American Farmer, they poison us as well. So, it's high time we start taking care of our farmers, and buy American. Personally, I'm sick and tired of supporting all these countries that hate our guts, but just love standing there with their hands out, cause we always seem to give it to them regardless. Wake up America.

OK, what the hell ever happened to washing produce before it is consumed??? I wish everyone would get off these "scares" and maybe inform the idiots that are handling food to wash their hands and the produce - this would solve it all and there wouldn't be all of this food going to waste.

I don't think it has anything to do with bad tomatoes as much as it is an experiment in governmental control. OOOPs I know too much

Little strong there aren't you Nikitta? In fact the FDA just today announced that the probable source of this outbreak is either Mexico or - guess where - Florida in the good old USA.

And I agree with the bloggers above about sensationalizing stories. So far there are 383 confirmed cases since early in April, with the last one diagnosed on June 5th. Only 383 cases out of the entire USA - please, this is not the terrible scourge the media is making it sound like.

And if we'd grow our own tomatoes, or buy them from local farmer's markets from people who grow their own, then no worries about where they came from. Personally, I'm growing and enjoying my tomatoes and no, I haven't a huge garden spot either. I'm growing two plants in pots on my deck, and they're thriving thanks very much. They provide plenty of delicious vine ripened tomatoes for my family of three, and at quite a reasonable cost too, compared with the current cost in the grocery store or at my farmer's market...

But my main point is don't bash Mexico (or any other country) if you don't know the facts.

Both radicalhippie and Rachel-305633 are correct. I appreciate your comments. NAFTA was signed into law, because somebody paid "big time" for Clinton to sign it into law. Laws don't just happen, they are made because somebody wants to make a "big profit". This sets in motion a set of circumstances that brings the problem we are discussing "right to our front door". The people who paid Clinton to sign NAFTA don't care if the citizens of this country are safe! At the time this "outbreak" began, the only tomatoes available, were coming in from Mexico and everyone has to understand, there are no health and safety measures in place in the fields of Mexico, as there are in "most" of this country! Many is the time I have seen field workers there drop their trousers and "take a dump" right in the field! When the field is again irrigated, the opportunity of botulism and human salmonella spreads like a cancer! Since there are absolutely no sanitation and health measures enforced in Mexico (even though Mexican authorities will say differently) and no "personal hygiene", what-so-ever, it's like playing Russian Roulette with all six chambers loaded!

For those of you who can remember, it was four years ago, when strawberry's from Mexico killed 6 school children in this country and made thousands sick, when the "tainted strawberry's" from there were served in the school lunch program, because they were cheaper than those grown in this country. Those who "paid" Clinton to sign NAFTA, are only interested in their profits, not whether people get sick and die! It absolutely baffles me, that those in charge, haven't a clue when it comes to protecting the health and welfare of the citizens of this country, who most certainly "pay more than their fair share" of taxes to ensure this doesn't happen! Just look at all the harmful toys and other items that have poured in from China, under the WTO, killing our own economy, killing people and making others sick! The citizens of this country should be outraged with their public officials, specifically the Democrats and a handful of Republicans in the Congress, who passed NAFTA and The World Trade Agreement, and put American's in jeopardy and in risk of their very lives. Yes, they were "well paid" by lobbyists to make this legislation! Time to stand up folks and "Throw The Bums Out"!

Re: laboratories subpoena (Salmonella testing in tomatoes)
If it is true that labs keep on repeating tests until a satisfactory answer is obtained then these labs should be severly punished but will that happen. This is ubiquitous with most labs. Can labs obtain work if they don't cheat. Is it a prerequisite. It's clear that today what matters is making money, no matter that people may die. Laboratories in US should be investigated and determine who is putting the pressure to cheat.

Re: laboratories subpoena (Salmonella testing in tomatoes)
If it is true that labs keep on repeating tests until a satisfactory answer is obtained then these labs should be severly punished but will that happen. This is ubiquitous with most labs. Can labs obtain work if they don't cheat. Is it a prerequisite. It's clear that today what matters is making money, no matter that people may die. Laboratories in US should be investigated and determine who is putting the pressure to cheat.

It's simple, use your nose and go to the farms that fertilize from honey buckets.

touristk needs to do some research before inserting his foot into his mouth! Nikita is right! Florida has been cleared and that only leaves Mexico and it is quite clear that touristk hasn't a clue about the dismal health conditions in which produce is raised in Mexico. Don't defend what you don't know!

I can`t believe they are really telling people that the tomatoes are actually coming from mexico. Why don`t you see the really story. The problem? The product from the states does not have any flavor, the quality is very poor and they are telling you that you can buy them if they have the vine with it. What is happening is that the usa product can`t sell and like always, they are trying to stick it to Mexico. That`s fine it will just happen like the avocadoes. For nearly 80 years they were banned and then suddenly hell broke loose in California and God know where else in the states, and they had to import product from Mexico again. Where do you think the AVO CLASSIC DIP AND THE AVOCADO DIP IS COMING FROM ? You guessed it Mexico. So please don`t look anywhere else but your own home and probably because the domestic market is going down. There is always an excuse to blame your neighbor. Good Luck we are still buying tomatoes at HEB in the Texas border.

To Marv from Minnesota: The bacteria that is being dealt with here is inside the tomato, not on the skin. It got there during the irrigation and growing process and is actually in the mucus membrane of the seed pocket.

How many tomatoes are distributed and sold in the United States every day? It seems to me that an "epidemic" of 383 cases of salmonella among how many millions of tomatoes sold daily in the US without evidence of significance illness is not a reason to go nut case over these small numbers. Really since this problem has emerged within the last week to 10 days and there has not been anything resembling a spike in cases nationwide, why all the panic?

For goodness sake, the rule for all fresh vegetables purchase to thoroughly wash them before processing, especially if those vegetables are going into salad preparations.

Why, oh God why, do we always go crazy over nonsense like this, when our country is at risk of extreme problems because of huge gas prices, food cost increases related to same, and the US dollar that continues to weaken because of Bush escapades and adventurism's in the mid-East.