Officials with West Virginia’s Department of Agriculture say a salmonella outbreak connected to tomatoes in parts of the United States is not affecting West Virginia’s tomato crop, but that doesn’t mean area residents are in the clear.  Mary Beth Bennet of West Virginia University Extensions Service says that until the source of the contaminated tomatoes is found, anyone buying tomatoes at a grocery store or farmer’s market needs to make sure they’re buying tomatoes grown in the state.Bennet says sometimes it’s not necessarily the growing of the food that leads to contamination, but rather how it’s being handled.  Many major chains including McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Wal-Mart are voluntarily not serving red plum, roma or red round tomatoes as a precaution.  The salmonella outbreak has sickened 140 people in, at least, 16 states.So far, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have been cleared as sources for the outbreak, but Virginia is still on the list.
The FDA started a safety initiative last year and is focusing on Florida and Virginia, the two states most often linked to the outbreaks.

Categories: Local News
Tags: Bennet, Farm, food, health, Salmonella, tomato, West Virginia Department of Agriculture