Tomatoes may not be root of salmonella outbreak

The news was greeted with resignation and a degree of anger from shoppers and growers who have seen millions of tomatoes taken off grocery shelves in the last month.

Of 1,700 domestic and international tomato samples collected for investigators so far, none has tested positive, said David Acheson, associate commissioner with the Food and Drug Administration.

Though fresh tomatoes have a "strong association" with many of the cases and remain a top suspect, he said health officials have not confirmed that the fruit carried the rare Salmonella Saintpaul strain.

Dr. Patricia Griffin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not divulge whether any other produce was being seriously investigated, only saying that it would "continue to keep an open mind about the possible source."

The most recent reported incident of the illness was June 15, and for each reported case there are likely to be more that have gone undetected, she said.

Some consumers said that they were becoming increasingly wary -- and weary -- of produce in general.

While clutching a shopping bag filled with red round tomatoes at a produce stand in Grand Central Market downtown, Jose Valadez, 39, of El Monte -- who happens to be a produce clerk at a Ralphs supermarket -- said he was worried that his children might get sick from unsafe fruits and vegetables.

"It's all very confusing, since I was under the impression that the problem was solved," he said. "Now I don't know what to think. I'm frustrated with the information being given out, and with the sense that agencies aren't coming clean."

Griffin said 810 people across 36 states and Washington, D.C., had fallen ill since mid-April and that at least 95 had been hospitalized.

Tomato growers were startled by the news that tomatoes may not be to blame for the outbreak. "It's a shocking revelation that many innocent people who took devastating losses may have taken a fatal blow unnecessarily," said Tom Nassif, chief executive of the Western Growers Assn., whose members cultivate about half of the nation's produce.

"The entire country is suffering in every tomato-growing area," Nassif said. "Demand and the market price is down, and sales could be affected for many years to come."