Throughout the ongoing Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak, Western Growers has been urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to quickly identify the source of the contamination and communicate their findings to the consuming public as expeditiously as possible. On Tuesday of this week, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach urging him to make a strong public announcement that all tomatoes grown in the United States, regardless of variety, are safe to eat. That letter was followed yesterday by a press release outlining the letter. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it’s lifting its advisory warning consumers that some types of tomatoes may be unsafe to eat. Dr. David Acheson, FDA’s assistant commissioner for food protection said all tomatoes that are being sold in the United States today are safe for consumption.
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