WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's food safety chief says
tomatoes "aren't off the hook" -- but the nation's record
salmonella outbreak could have been caused by something else.
The government will test numerous other types of fresh produce
in the hunt for the source of the salmonella, but officials aren't
saying exactly which vegetables they're tracking.
The only hint: items served with fresh tomatoes. Doctor David
Acheson with the FDA says being more specific without more evidence
would be "irresponsible."
The outbreak is continuing weeks longer than food-poisoning
experts had expected.
Disease detectives are exploring whether tomatoes and other
produce are sharing a common packing or shipping site where both
might become contaminated, or whether multiple foods might be
tainted while being grown on adjoining farms or with common water
sources.