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October 11, 2008 5:06:16 AM CDT

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You Say Tomato, the FDA Says There's Another Culprit Here

Posted Jul 2, 08 3:13 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Health officials are looking into produce other than tomatoes as the source of the recent salmonella outbreak, reports the Los Angeles Times. With much of the tomato harvest wrapped up and new cases emerging, the FDA is investigating produce typically served with tomatoes, though officials refuse to say what that other produce might be.

Still, "tomatoes aren't off the hook," says an FDA commissioner, as 80% of the 869 victims reported eating them. Contamination possibilities such as a shared water source or common packing plant are still being examined. Tomato growers blasted the FDA for the slow investigation. "It's causing so much confusion, and tells the consumer nothing. If they have the epidemiological data, they should just say what it is," said a produce association rep.

Source Los Angeles Times

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In this Friday, June 13, 2008 file photo, farmer Robert Dodd displays some of his tomato crop at his farm in Hanover County, Va.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Crowds of people line up to buy Arkansas grown tomatoes at the Farmers Market, Saturday, June 14, 2008 in Little Rock, Ark.   (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath)
In this June 9, 2008 file photo, Mark Roh, U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acting regional director holds a bag of tomatoes being tested for salmonella bacteria at a research lab in California.   (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
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