Federal officials say they may never know the source of Salmonella tainted tomatoes that have sickened hundreds of people across the country.  Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to search for the genetic fingerprint of the rare Salmonella strain—Salmonella St. Paul—responsible for the illnesses by “tracing the tomatoes back through the supply chain,” there is no guarantee the investigation will yield conclusive results.

“We may not ultimately know the farm where these came from,” Dr. David Acheson, FDA associate commissioner for foods, said.  “Some trace-backs that we thought were looking pretty good have been falling apart.”  Acheson added that he remained optimistic, but is “trying to be realistic.”  According to Acheson, it is also believed that the tainted tomatoes were grown either in Mexico or central or southern Florida. (more…)

A Food & Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has recommended that the agency approve Enbrel to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis in children, despite concerns that the drug has been linked to cancer and serious infections, including tuberculosis.  Enbrel is already approved to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis in adults and juvenile arthritis in children.

Enbrel is made from a type of protein called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that blocks the action of a substance made by the body’s immune system called TNF. People with an immune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis, have too much TNF in their bodies. The FDA first approved Enbrel in 2000 for treating rheumatoid arthritis, and its approved uses where expanded several times to include psoriasis and other conditions. (more…)

The number of Salmonella cases linked to tainted tomatoes has jumped to 383, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  The CDC said that most of the 106 new illnesses reported this week occurred weeks ago, and were the result of better monitoring efforts.  However, the last reported illness occurred on June 5, and the agency said it still considers the Salmonella outbreak to be ongoing.

The CDC and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have been tracking the tomato Salmonella outbreak since mid April.  Last week, the FDA warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes and products containing them.  Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine have been deemed safe to eat.  Red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes are safe if they are known to have come from geographic areas listed on the FDA’s website. (more…)

An outbreak of Salmonella from tainted tomatoes could ultimately affect more than 8,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Unfortunately, the true number of people sickened in this Salmonella outbreak will never be known, as the vast majority of Salmonella illnesses are never reported to health authorities.

The CDC has so far confirmed 277 cases of Salmonella St. Paul in 28 states and the District of Columbia.  The states affected by the tomato Salmonella outbreak include: Arkansas (2 persons), Arizona (19), California (6), Colorado (1), Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Georgia (7), Idaho (3), Illinois (34), Indiana (7), Kansas (8), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Missouri (4), New Mexico (68), New York (2), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (3), Tennessee (4), Texas (68), Utah (2), Virginia (16), Vermont (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (5), and the District of Columbia (1).    (more…)

Salmonella tainted tomatoes have sickened 277 people in 28 states and the District of Columbia, federal health officials said yesterday.  Unfortunately, investigators have yet to determine where the contaminated tomatoes came from, and are still focusing on parts of Florida and Mexico.  However, an official with  the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) did say that a cluster of illnesses linked to a single source may be an important lead in tracing the origins of the Salmonella outbreak.

The tomato Salmonella outbreak began in mid-April, and at that time was centered mostly in New Mexico and Texas.  Last week, the FDA warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes and products containing them.  Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine have been deemed safe to eat.  Red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes are safe if they are known to have come from geographic areas listed on the FDA’s website. (more…)

Federal regulators have just learned about five dozen new Salmonella cases linked to tainted tomatoes, bringing the total number of people affected by the outbreak to 228. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says the Salmonella tomato outbreak now spans 23 states, up from 17 just a day ago.  The recent illnesses - the last of which occurred on June 1 - means that Salmonella contaminated tomatoes might still be in circulation.

The tomato Salmonella outbreak began in mid-April, and at that time was centered mostly in New Mexico and Texas.  Earlier this week, the FDA warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes and products containing them.  Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine have been deemed safe to eat. (more…)

Citing deaths from tainted heparin, as well as the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes, a lawmaker from the President’s own party recently accused the Bush Administration of  “drastically hindering” attempts to get the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) increased funding. In a letter written to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said the FDA’s request on Monday for an additional $275 million wouldn’t give the agency any money until March or April 2009 “at the earliest.”

The FDA has been under scrutiny lately, especially for its oversight of imported food and drugs. Since late last year, tainted heparin sourced from China has been blamed for at least 81 deaths and hundreds of adverse reactions in the U.S. It was eventually learned that the FDA had never inspected the Chinese plant where raw heparin ingredients were made. (more…)

Mexican tomatoes, as well as those grown in certain Florida counties, still have not been eliminated as sources of a 17-state Salmonella outbreak, according to federal regulators investigating the illnesses.  Officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are focusing on growers in areas where tomatoes were being harvested in April, around the time the first cases of Salmonella poisoning were being reported.  Crops in Mexico and Florida would have been coming in around that time.

Since the outbreak began in mid-April, health officials has been trying to determine exactly where the Salmonella-tainted tomatoes came from. Already deemed safe to eat are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine. The FDA also said that tomatoes from growers in Arkansas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico. Additionally, tomato crops from 19 counties in Florida have also been cleared. (more…)

Since April, there have been 167 reported cases of Salmonellosis nationwide that have been linked to tainted tomatoes.  The strain of Salmonellosis causing the infections is Salmonella Saint Paul, a rare form of Salmonella.  In addition to the 167 cases, there have been 23 hospitalizations and one possible death.

Over the weekend, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to consumers to abstain from certain tomatoes due to the Salmonellosis; however, given the current outbreak, everyone is wondering if it is safe to eat tomatoes.  The answer is, yes, but only certain types.  Currently, FDA is tracking the source of the infections and, in the meantime, some tomatoes have been declared safe to eat:  Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold on the vine. (more…)

Federal regulators are said to be getting closer to determining the origin of a Salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes. Earlier this week, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes and products containing them. The tomatoes have been linked to 167 cases of Salmonella poisoning in 17 states, and may be implicated in the death of a Texas cancer patient.

Since the outbreak began in mid-April, the FDA has been trying to pinpoint exactly where the Salmonella-tainted tomatoes came from. The agency has already deemed Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and those sold with the vine as safe to eat. The FDA also said that tomatoes from growers in Arkansas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico. (more…)