Investigators Explore Other Causes of Salmonella Outbreak
As salmonella cases continue to be reported, food safety agencies question whether tainted tomatoes are actually to blame, or if the problem is with another food or a warehouse that is contaminating harvested tomatoes, according to an Associated Press report.
So far, 810 people have been confirmed ill from salmonella and the outbreak continues to widen in geographic area, which means that the source of the illness could still be on the market, federal health officials recently warned.
The Food and Drug Administration food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson, said tomatoes remain the top suspect in the case and he stressed that consumers should continue to avoid tomatoes not cleared by the agency.
He added, however, that it is possible that tomatoes harvested in states considered safe could be picking up salmonella in packing sheds, warehouses or other facilities currently under investigation.
The latest victim to report salmonella poisoning was as late as June 15, which has investigators concerned so long after the outbreak began on April 10. It is also weeks after government warnings went out and supermarkets and restaurants initially pulled tomatoes off the shelves and off menus.
"The source of contamination has been ongoing at least through early June, and we don't have any evidence that whatever the source is, it's been removed from the market," Dr. Patricia Griffin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Associated Press. "We have also kept an open mind about other possibilities and are looking into other ingredients."