Geographic Irony

(Tom Karst says I should probably introduce myself. My Google handle is Ovaltine, but I'm Jay Martini, Chicago-based tomato broker/distributor since 1980. I'll occasionally be commenting on the tomato industry, the produce business in general and, more often than not, all the things about it that make us crazy. Yeah, it's a blank canvas out there with a whole bunch of colors...)

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In trying to decompress over the weekend, I attempted to avoid any tomato-specific media, which is like saying don't think about pink elephants. But in reflection I was struck by this almost-delicious irony: while we're waiting for the FDA to pinpoint the source of the tomato/salmonella outbreak, if Mexico happens to be 'it', that would be quite interesting in that virtually the only tomato movement on the Chicago terminal this past week has been to the Hispanic trade.

Along with the other ethnicities that comprise the lifeblood of the present-day terminal market, Mexican grocery stores have been the only buyers up til now that have stepped up to the plate, saying in effect 'I don't care what the FDA is advising', and stocked their stores for Father's Day.

Yes, it's well-known that Hispanics consume per capita many more fresh tomatoes on a regular basis than their American counterparts. But to me it's more than that. Maybe their rationale is that, short of an actual recall, if tomatoes are available for sale, that's good enough for them & they're going to supply their customers.

I was at another graduation party Saturday night, hosted by a Greek friend. Phenomenal spread. Shishkebabs of chicken and pork, fresh toasted pita bread, creamy tzatziki sauce, cucumber salad, raw onion rings and.......plates of sliced round tomatoes. Honest to Pete, in a week where I've been to hell & back it was all I could do to contain my glee in that vision.

You see, the caterer had to make a conscious decision to defy the idiot broadcast media, the CDC, the FDA, and maybe conventional wisdom to offer tomatoes to his client, my friend, who told me that not having them was never an option. A good sandwich demands a tomato, period.

And it's that kind of tiny victory, one at a time, that will hopefully bring the tomato business back.

Later,

Jay

McDonald's to tomatoes: We want you back

My Fresh Talk poll asked how long it will take before tomatoes are back on the menu at McDonald's. A fair number of those who voted on the poll thought tomatoes wouldn't make it back in less than three weeks, but this video reports the chain will have tomatoes back in the system in seven to ten days:

Mexico's next move

Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group posts this story from Mexico about what Sinaloa tomato producers in Mexico are considering in view of the "commercial problem" in the U.S. market. It certainly sounds as if new, mandatory self-imposed quality/food safety regulations are coming in Mexico. What follows are are a few graphs from the post, representing another example of the value of the discussion group and the valuable work of some of its most faithful contributors. To read the full post, sign up with the discussion group:

New Tomato Regulations Proposed
Claudia Beltrán 14-06-2008
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=384790&id_seccion=10

The Mexican authorities must take advantage of the commercial problem that is being experienced with tomatoes in the United States to formulate regulation that requires all producers to comply with minimum quality rules for tomatoes and the rest of the vegetables.

Sergio Esquer Peiro, grower and president of the Council for the Economic Development of the State of Sinaloa, emphasized that it is important for Mexican agricultural authorities to formulate tomato specific norms to regulate the food safety parameters of this product.
It is urgent, he declared, to elaborate these norms and to make very clear that nobody is being discriminated. However, any packer that handles a certain amount of production or works certain acreage must comply with these safety rules.

Baja breaking free

There was apparently no breaking news over the weekend from the FDA on the traceback investigation, as I'm just now checking the office email after a full Sunday of family time. However, I did notice that Amy Philpott of United Fresh sent out an email about Baja California "certificate protocol." I would assume from a first reading of United's letter, sliding across the inbox at about 4:36 pm on Sunday, that the FDA will soon clear Baja California production under certain conditions. From the letter:

Dear United Fresh Members,

United Fresh received the attached documents regarding the certificate protocol for Roma (plum) and red round tomatoes from Baja California (Norte) from the Secretaria de Fomento Agropecuario del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California (Fomento Agropecuario). According to Fomento Agropecuario, these documents will also be posted on their web page, http://www.sfa.gob.mx/, sometime tomorrow.

You will note that most of the documents are specific to the producer or grower in Mexico. However, the "Application for Approval" document is for the importer of record, and the "Formato-Receivers" is for the receiver of the product.

These documents will also be available tomorrow on the United Fresh webpage dedicated to the Salmonella saintpaul Outbreak. There is a link to this special page on our home page www.unitedfresh.org

Questions regarding the protocol can be directed to:

Ing. Javier Marin

Director de Inspeccion, Sanidad e Inocuidad,

Secretario de Fomento Agropecuario del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California

jmarin@baja.gob.mx or cnunezr@baja.gob.mx

or

Belem Avendaño

Asesor del Secretario de Fomento Agropecuario del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California belem_avendano@yahoo.com

Regards,

Amy Philpott

United Fresh Produce Association