Bob Whitaker, Produce Marketing Association's chief science officer, responded Thursday morning, June 12, to questions on the organization's new web-based briefing series regarding the current Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak associated with tomatoes.

The questions that everyone is waiting for the answers to -- what is the source of the pathogen and what is taking so long to find the source -- are good ones, but far from easy ones to answer.

Dr. Whitaker said that at its very core, traceback is an investigation that relies on data gathering and analysis.

Charles H. Bronson, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, announced Tuesday afternoon, June 10, that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has deemed Florida-grown tomatoes safe.

Later in the evening, the FDA updated its website to reflect the change. As of that update, 24 states and seven offshore countries had been added to the FDA's list of areas that "have not been associated with the outbreak."

MAITLAND, FL -- Florida's tomato growers enthusiastically welcomed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's announcement that consumers are clear to eat tomatoes harvested in 19 Florida counties. The counties encompass the Ruskin-Palmetto and Quincy areas of the state, Florida's prime tomato- producing regions.

HANFORD, CA -- Warmerdam Packing LLC, here, a fruit grower and packer whose products are marketed by Trinity Fruit Sales Co. in Fresno, CA, has for many years been involved in implementing innovative practices and technologies in its farming, packing and cooling operations that are designed to improve sustainability.

Sundia Corp., based in Oakland, CA, announced that its certified organic manufacturing facility in Thailand is open for business. The new facility will process and package "True Fruit Organic" brand fruit cups, which are filled with organically grown mangos, peaches or pineapple.

Monterey County's farm-gate value of its agricultural products, which is the equivalent of overall gross values, jumped to $3.8 billion in 2007 -- an increase of 9.5 percent over 2006 as detailed in the Monterey County Crop Report 2007 released Tuesday, June 3.

The crop report is compiled by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The $3.8 billion total is the highest farm-gate value the county has ever achieved and the sixth time the county has exceeded $3 billion in gross production value.