Florida welcomes FDA move on tomatoes

From the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange


MAITLAND, Fla. (July 17, 2008) – The Florida tomato industry welcomes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s announcement today that it is lifting its consumer advisory against tomatoes and that it found no evidence of salmonella saintpaul at any Florida facility.

We have long been confident that Florida’s tomatoes were not associated with the salmonella saintpaul outbreak, and this week our industry called on the FDA to clear our products. Tomatoes from Florida’s growing regions have been gone from the marketplace for weeks, so they could not have been the source of the contamination.

Food safety is a top priority for our industry. Nothing is more important than the confidence of consumers in Florida’s fresh produce. Those who grow, pack and ship fresh tomatoes voluntarily incorporate food safety as part of their everyday business practices. In fact, Florida set a precedent by being the first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive food safety program with mandatory government inspection and audits for tomato production. The program became effective July 1.

Consumer confidence has been shaken by this outbreak, and it will be important for our industry to take the steps necessary to help rebuild that confidence. That will be a top priority for us moving forward.

The pace of the traceback process has been frustratingly slow, and as a result the entire industry has suffered significantly for an outbreak it did not cause. Although they are still assessing their losses, Florida growers estimate that the FDA’s consumer advisory not to eat certain tomatoes will ultimately cost them millions of dollars. The industry is willing to work with the FDA, CDC and other health officials to determine how the agencies’ traceback process can be improved and the important lessons that can be learned from this outbreak.

Producers are clearly committed to taking whatever proactive steps are necessary to ensure Americans have access to the safest, healthiest and most nutritious fresh produce possible. The industry is continually using the latest scientific information available to improve food safety and security practices, and we already have invested millions of dollars to improve our food-safety practices.
There is no such thing as zero risk for fresh produce that is grown in an open, natural environment. However, we wholeheartedly support any information or guidance based on sound science that can help enhance the safety of produce, maintain and enhance consumer confidence, and increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables