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

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. (More salmonella stories.)