By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — During a season when tomatoes are in high demand, the timing couldn’t be worse for a salmonella outbreak, related to several varieties, that has spread across the country.
The origin of the tomatoes causing the outbreak, which is now said to have started in April, has yet to be determined by government officials, prompting many businesses to stop using or discard their supplies for a time, including McDonald’s restaurants.
The Food and Drug Administration stated the agency, “has issued a warning to consumers nationwide that an outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella, has been linked to consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes and products containing these raw tomatoes.
“Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for that information. If consumers are unable to determine the source of the tomatoes, they should not be eaten.”
To date, 228 cases have been reported nationwide with 25 of those requiring hospitalization. At least one person in Kentucky has contacted the illness connected to the outbreak according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
The FDA released a list on June 5 of states, territories, and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested which have not been associated with this outbreak. Some of those states include Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Iowa.
The way in which the FDA has handled the outbreak including communicating to the public about the matter, has come under scrutiny. Last week the Southern Assoc. of State Departments of Agricul-ture (SASDA), during their annual conference in Lexington, Ky. voiced its frustration with the agency concerning the lack of forthcoming information and called on the agency to reform their procedures during a disease outbreak and to seek help from states in trying to pinpoint the source of the outbreak.
“We understand that the FDA has a big responsibility, but it is necessary for them to open the lines of communication with the public as well as the states,” said Kentucky Ag Commissioner Richie Farmer, SASDA president. “The FDA needs to work with the states to pinpoint the source of the outbreak and eradicate it without unnecessarily harming producers whose products are not affected by the outbreak.”
A release from the Kentucky Depart-ment of Agriculture (KDA) stated during a SASDA business meeting, that Florida Ag Commissioner Charles Bronson said the FDA’s statements on the salmonella outbreak “have basically shut down the southern tomato growers.”
He went on to say that growers in northern Florida had just begun their harvest. “They couldn’t have been part of this (outbreak),” Bronson said.
Florida topped the nation in tomato production in 2004 with more than 1.5 billion pounds according to according to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Other agriculture officials voiced their opinion during the SASDA conference.
Tennessee Ag Commissioner Ken Givens said the decision of some national restaurant chains to take tomatoes off their products comes at a time when U.S. hamburger consumption is at an all-time high. “This couldn’t come at a worse time,” he said.
West Virginia Ag Commissioner Gus Douglass said the FDA’s statements on the outbreak are affecting sales of hydroponically grown tomatoes from states farther north that are not on the FDA’s list of unaffected states.
Alabama Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks pointed out that his state, which borders Florida, is on the FDA’s list of unaffected states. “It doesn’t make good sense,” he said. Only a portion of Florida counties have been cleared by the FDA.

What consumers can do

This outbreak has conjured up memories of a national spinach recall in September 2006 leaving consumers to worry and wonder about the sources of so many foods they enjoy. There are resources, however, that may reassure them in the confidence of their food.
Many states are part of the Market-Maker website which offers source verification data for a variety of products.
“The local tomato farmers listed on the MarketMaker website are source-verified, so consumers know where the tomatoes came from and how they were grown,” said Dar Knipe, University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.
Sandy Shetler, MarketMaker website manager said, “I received a call from a vegetable farmer in Lancaster, Ohio who is one of the tomato producers listed on MarketMaker. He had been contacted by someone who needed uncontaminated tomatoes. His tomatoes were just turning green so he referred them to a producer in southern Illinois whose crop was a few weeks ahead of his.”
Shetler said Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi and other growers in the South may have tomatoes ready to sell, and they have live websites with searchable databases. “This is a prime example of when something like the Salmonella outbreak happens people can visit the website to find local, source-verified food,” Shetler said.
The website, piloted in Illinois, enables farmers to find markets for their goods and consumers to locate local food.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends consumers “refrigerate within two hours or discard cut, peeled or cooked tomatoes; avoid purchasing bruised or damaged tomatoes and discard any that appear spoiled.”