---
title: Tomatoes traced to Florida
date: 2007-12-24T22:11:41-08:00
author: Bill Marler
canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/tomatoes-traced-to-florida-2"
section: News
---
[All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) /

# Tomatoes traced to Florida

 

 

  **Karen Roebuck, TRIBUNE-REVIEW***August 11, 2004*

The Roma tomatoes tainted with salmonella that sickened at least 416 people in five states have been traced to farms in Florida and possibly South Carolina.

Food and Drug Administration investigators are visiting farms in one state this week, agency officials said Tuesday, declining to be more specific.

The outbreak linked to Sheetz convenience stores infected people in 31 counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia with salmonellosis, a gastrointestinal illness. People became sick in early July.

Florida agriculture officials have been told that FDA investigators will be in that state next week as part of the salmonellosis investigation, but that does not mean that's where the tainted tomatoes were grown, said Liz Compton, spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Florida officials were told that growers in five states that supplied tomatoes that could have ended up at Sheetz are being checked out, she said.

The FDA investigators, including experts in sanitation, inspections, microbiology and epidemiology, will review the farms' operations and records, try to determine in which fields the tomatoes were grown, and do water tests, said John Sanders, general health scientist with the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Investigators likely will spend two weeks on the farms, but it could be "several weeks to months" before the agency identifies the cause of the outbreak or farms, he said.

Past investigations of salmonellosis outbreaks have traced the source to humans, animals and contaminated water, Sanders said.

Karen Roebuck can be reached at kroebuck@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7939.

  

### Other Salmonella Lawsuits

 [64 with Salmonella tied to Oysters](https://marlerclark.com/64-with-salmonella-tied-to-oysters)

 [Vega Farms Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 63](https://marlerclark.com/vega-farms-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-63)

 [Green Supplement causes Salmonella Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/green-supplement-causes-salmonella-outbreak)

 [Salmonella Outbreak tied to Metabolic Meals](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-tied-to-metabolic-meals)

 [Kentucky Salmonella outbreak linked to Ramsey’s Diners and Missy’s Pies](https://marlerclark.com/kentucky-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-ramseys-diners-and-missys-pies)

 [Salmonella Egg Outbreak sickens 63 in California](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-egg-outbreak-sickens-63-in-california)

 [Cucumbers with Salmonella - Again](https://marlerclark.com/cucumbers-with-salmonella-again)

 [Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in San Diego - 89 Sick](https://marlerclark.com/aladdin-mediterranean-restaurant-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak-in-san-diego)

 [Italian Pastries tied to illnesses in the US and Canada](https://marlerclark.com/italian-pastries-tied-to-illnesses-in-the-us-and-canada)

 [Cucumbers sicken 100 in 23 States with Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/cucumbers-sicken-68-in-19-states-with-salmonella)

 [Madre’s Oaxacan Restaurant linked to Salmonella Outbreak - 44 Sick](https://marlerclark.com/madres-oaxacan-restaurant-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak)

 [Salmonella Outbreak linked to Cucumbers sickens 551 in 31 States](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-cucumbers-sickens-162-in-25-states)

 

 

 

### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses

 [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all)

 [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all)

 [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all)

 [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all)

 [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all)

 [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all)

 [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all)

 [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all)

 [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all)

 [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all)

 [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all)

 [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all)

 [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all)

 

 

### Lawsuits updates by year

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026)

 

 

 

##### Get Help

   

#### Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

 [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) 

##### Related Resources

   

 

######  [Salmonella Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/about-salmonella) 

What is Salmonella and how does it cause food poisoning? The term Salmonella refers to a specific group of gram-negative bacteria with the potential to cause gastrointestinal distress and other...

 

######  [The Incidence of Salmonella Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-incidence-of-salmonella-infections) 

Typhoidal Salmonella Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Sendai, and Paratyphi A, B, or C are found exclusively in humans. These serotypes, collectively referred to as typhoidal Salmonella, cause enteric fever (also...

 

######  [The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-prevalence-of-salmonella-in-food-and-elsewhere) 

Most Salmonella infections are caused by eating contaminated food. One study found that 87% of all confirmed cases of Salmonella are foodborne. Foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, eggs...

 

######  [Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/transmission-of-salmonella-bacteria) 

In the past two decades, consumption of produce, especially sprouts, tomatoes, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and nut butters, has been associated with Salmonella illnesses. The surface of fruits and vegetables...

 

######  [Symptoms of Salmonella Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms-risks) 

Symptoms of Salmonella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella infections can have a broad range of illness, from no symptoms to severe illness. The most common clinical...

 

##### Outbreak Database

   

#### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

 [ View Outbreak Database

  ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)
