JALAPENOS & CILANTRO: The Food and Drug Administration seems no nearer to finding the source of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak than three months ago when it first surfaced. Florida tomato growers have lost an estimated $100 million of income and are seeking financial restitution from the federal government.

In its effort to find the source of the ongoing Salmonella saintpaul outbreak, the FDA has broadened its salmonella search from tomatoes to other ingredients used in fresh salsa, such as jalapeño peppers and cilantro. The salmonella scare also hit Mexican tomato growers hard, and is having an impact on jalapeño growers and shippers, as well.

Salmonella saintpaul Outbreak: Quick Facts

FDA Testing Salsa Ingredients, Basil

"We are quite sure that neither tomatoes nor jalapeños explains the entire outbreak," said the Centers for Disease Control's Dr. Robert Tauxe. "We're presuming that both of them have caused illnesses." (Houston Chronicle, 7/14/08)

FDA official Dr. David Acheson explained that broadening the search from tomatoes to hot peppers and cilantro was the next logical step in the government's Salmonella saintpaul investigation.

He said that two different studies have turned up information about tomatoes and jalapeños but that neither study rules out the other.

"It's just been a spectacularly complicated and prolonged outbreak," Acheson said. "We've pursued all the usual angles, used all the tools multiple times ... and we're not there." (Houston Chronicle, 7/14/08)

According to the FDA, Lucky Green Trading, Inc., of Garden Grove, Calif., recalled a shipment of Thai basil after testing revealed salmonella contamination in a sample.

"The recall was the result of a random testing by the FDA which revealed that the finished products contained the Salmonella," said a recall press release issued by the FDA. (FDA, 7/9/08)

The basil shipment came from a grower in Mexico. No illnesses were traced to the basil, and investigators doubt the salmonella was the same strain the FDA has been trying to trace.

United States Imports 60% of Produce, Mostly From Mexico

Mexican farmers have been as hard hit by the salmonella scare as American growers, which isn't surprising given the amount of produce Mexico exports to the United States.

Here's a breakdown of how much food the United States imports from other countries:

Experts Disagree How to Handle Import Inspections

Although investigations continue to focus on Mexico, no evidence points to Mexican produce as the source of the contamination (see sidebar).

"I must emphasize that by and large, the food traded is very safe," said Suzanne Heinen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's counselor for agricultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. "We have very few problems, especially when you consider the volume of trade that crosses the border every day." (Dallas Morning News, 6/30/08)

That very volume, however, may be part of the problem. According to Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumers Union, the inadequate U.S. inspection system may be putting consumers at risk.

"We have this huge growth in imports, this huge growth in trade," Halloran said, "at the same time we have severely cut back on our regulatory agencies and their ability to do their job, especially the food portion of the Food and Drug Administration." (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/14/08)

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Question for Readers:

Do you think the government should pay tomato farmers for the income they've lost because of the salmonella scare?