Salmonella Tomato Scare Slams Florida Term Paper

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The symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps that appear about 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness can last 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. It is most dangerous for the elderly, infants, and in people with certain other health disorders.

After the FDA announced the outbreak, large restaurant chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King and many others immediately pulled all their raw tomatoes from their menus, and began selling items without tomatoes, including items made with tomatoes, such as salsa. Supermarkets across the country pulled the items, as well, even natural food markets like Whole Foods, until the FDA can pinpoint the source of the outbreak.

Now, consumers are avoiding tomatoes, even though the FDA has certified Florida tomatoes are risk free. The outbreak has already caused a major blow to the Florida tomato industry, and growers and packers are angry that it took the FDA so long between first announcing the outbreak on June 3, to fully certifying Florida tomatoes on June 10. Some growers are angry it took so long to check their tomatoes, but the FDA cites a severe shortage in manpower and funding as a reason for their sluggish reaction.
Growers want consumers to know their tomatoes are safe, and that it's OK to buy Florida tomatoes at their local supermarkets. FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said, "It's safe for consumers to eat tomatoes grown in states such as Florida and California that investigators have determined are not responsible for the outbreak." Tomatoes that are still safe to eat, besides those from Florida, include cherry tomatoes, grape….....

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