Tomato Scare Costs Florida Farmers Millions
July 18th, 2008 by flanewsThe Food and Drug Administration says it�s now okay to eat tomatoes. The FDA still thinks tomatoes could be the cause of more than 1,200 cases of salmonella in the US, but says if there were tainted tomatoes, they�ve rotted by now. The tomato scare had consumers boycotting tomatoes even after Florida�s crops were placed on the safe-to-eat list. Florida farmers lost an estimated one hundred million dollars during the scare. Florida Department of Agriculture spokesman Terry McElroy said farmers need to be compensated for their losses.
�We want congress to seek federal reimbursement for losses sustained in Commissioner Bronson is 100 percent behind that, is supporting Allen Boyd and others in Congress, because he thinks its fair and the right thing to do,� said McElroy.
The FDA hasn�t ruled out Florida as the source of the outbreak, but they�ve added hot pepper as a source. They�re asking seniors and people with weak immune systems to avoid jalape�os and serrano peppers.
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