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Jun 12, 2008 6:45 pm US/Eastern

Investigators Look For Tomato Contamination Source

Reporting
Alex DeMetrick
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― Federal health officials haven't yet traced the source of salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

But as Alex DeMetrick reports, currently Maryland is not among the states with confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning from contaminated tomatoes.

Dr. Mickey Parish chairs the University of Maryland's Department of Nutrition and Food Science.

"In the eastern United States this time of year, tomatoes typically come out of Florida. In the western U.S., they're coming out of Mexico," said Parish.

Salmonella from animal waste deposited directly or through irrigation can cause contamination.  So can the water and equipment used to process produce.

"Other possibilities would be workers who are not as hygienic as they should be. Their hands become contaminated and then they touch tomatoes," Parish said.

Tomatoes grown in Maryland are considered safe since it's still too early for field grown tomatoes to make it to the market.

Greenhouse grown tomatoes that are for sale are safe. That puts local greenhouse tomatoes in demand from shoppers who saw spinach recalled just last fall for E.coli contamination.  

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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