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July 18, 2007
·
No salmonella answers, but FDA OKs ‘mater munching
· Controlled environment protects Arizona tomatoes
·
Desert plant may hold key to surviving food shortage
· USDA awards $4.1M to study honeybee disorder
·
Gowan acquires fungicide from Dow AgroSciences
No salmonella answers, but FDA OKs ‘mater munching
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's OK to eat all kinds of
tomatoes again, the U.S. government declared Thursday — lifting its salmonella
warning on the summer favorites amid signs that the record outbreak, while not
over, may finally be slowing.
Hot peppers still get a caution: The people
most at risk of salmonella — including the elderly and people with weak immune
systems — should avoid fresh jalapenos and serranos,
and any dishes that may contain them such as fresh salsa, federal health
officials advised.
Investigators still don't know what caused
the salmonella outbreak, which now has sickened 1,220 people in 42 states — the
earliest falling ill on April 10 and the latest so far on July 4.
But Thursday's move, coming as the tomato
industry estimates its losses at more than $100 million, doesn't mean that
tomatoes harvested in the spring are cleared. It just means that the tomatoes
in fields and stores today are safe to eat, said Dr. David Acheson, the Food
and Drug Administration's food safety chief.
"This is not saying that anybody was
absolved," Acheson said. But, "as of today, FDA officials believe
that consumers may now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes available without
concern of becoming infected with salmonella Saintpaul,"
the outbreak strain.
Early on, there was good evidence linking
certain raw tomatoes to the sick, Acheson stressed. Yet inspectors haven't
found the outbreak strain of salmonella Saintpaul on
any farms, in suspect areas of south
As the outbreak stretched into last month,
more evidence emerged against fresh jalapenos — the FDA's hottest lead for now.
The agency sent inspectors to a Mexican packing house that supplied peppers
linked to a cluster of those illnesses.
Also still on the suspect list is fresh
cilantro.
Separately Thursday,
There are signs that the outbreak is slowing,
said Dr. Robert Tauxe of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The CDC charted the dates when the ill say they fell
sick. Between April and mid-May, illnesses steadily rose. Between May 20 and
June 10, the outbreak hit a plateau, with about 33 people a day becoming ill.
From June 11 to June 20, that dropped to 19 people a day becoming ill.
Those are the latest available statistics,
because it can take two weeks or longer for the CDC to receive confirmation
that someone who is sick actually has the implicated salmonella strain.
For every salmonella case the CDC confirms,
it estimates there are 30 to 40 more that go undocumented, perhaps because
people don't see a doctor or undergo the right testing.
How could two different types of produce be contaminated
with what is a rare type of salmonella?
One possibility is that a large farm grew
tomatoes in one section and peppers in another, and both went through a common
washing station with contaminated water, Acheson said.
"Bear in mind this is not following the
trail of a regular old produce outbreak," he said. "There's something
else going on here that is a little unusual. You need to think outside the
box."
The tomato industry — which held an
unprecedented meeting with FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach
and other officials on Monday — welcomed the announcement.
"We have long been confident that
In Monday's meeting, the industry urged FDA
to share more details of its investigation so producers could offer more
possibly helpful information. If the sick were more likely to fall ill from
chain restaurants than mom-and-pop establishments, for instance, the industry
could help point FDA toward different lines of suppliers, explained Kathy Means
of the Produce Marketing Association. The FDA promised to consider the request.
Controlled environment
protects Arizona
(wmicentral.com) – A walk through the Eurofresh tomato plant
in Snowflake is like a visit to the set of "Honey, I Shrunk the
Kids." Instead of the usual home garden tomato vine that stands about two
to three feet high with branches spreading out, the vines in the Eurofresh
greenhouses soar high above ground.
The vines themselves, which grow to about 50 feet, are woven back and forth
reaching a height of about 18 feet, tied up with string. As high as that is,
there is another three meters (nearly 10 feet) of a buffer zone between the
tomatoes and the roof. Visitors to the greenhouse are required to wear white
lab coats so they won't leave any unwanted material on the vines if they should
happen to brush against them.
"In our Snowflake operation, each plant produces 40 to 50 pounds per
plant," said David Leitch, general manager of Eurofresh's packing operation. "We produce about 150
million tomatoes here. "At this farm, we only
grow utility tomatoes which are of uniform size. We have 40 to 50 contracted
customers that we supply year-round."
Clusters of tomatoes in varying stages of ripeness range along the last 18 feet
of vine that goes straight toward the ceiling.
As the tomatoes ripen, the leaves around them are cut and finally the clusters
themselves are cut off and that now empty portion of the vine is bent to allow
the next cluster to come closer to the floor. The top end of the plant
continues to grow and blossom until it reaches about 50 feet in length.
"Because we supply produce 12 months of the year, we try to stagger the
growth so we are never out of production," Leitch
said. "We also stagger our cleanouts. Our production planning consists of
an ideal scenario, but depending on our sales, we can adjust the plan."
Root stock is planted in rock wool, which is similar to insulation material,
and the variety of tomato desired is grafted to it. Leitch
said they use plants from a propagator in
Once they are put into place in the greenhouse, they are able to control 100
percent of the nutrient the plants receive. Each vine will spend 10 to 12
months in the ground. "Our plants haven't been genetically modified,"
Leitch said. "Changes are made by selective
breeding over a number of years. The tomato vines grow 12 to 14 inches a week.
"Workers take out the suckers so there is only one stem going up. The
plants require continual management. In single tomatoes, the tomatoes can have
different grades but when they are attached they have to be even sized."
The leaves and suckers, which would turn into branches, are clipped near the
bottom where the tomatoes are ripening because growers want that area of the
plant to be light and airy. One reason is so the conditions won't be conducive
to fungus. Water carries nutrients to the plant with about 30 to 40 percent of
the water running off into holding tanks, Leitch
said.
This water is sterilized and the nutrients put back in. It's then sent back
into the drip irrigation system. Leitch said the water
in that system tests as safe as that in the municipal water system.
Bumble bees are also occupants of the greenhouses. They are necessary for
pollination and do a better job of that than honeybees do because pollination
is their only job, he said. This species of bee also doesn't communicate so if
one gets out of the greenhouse, it can't return and tell the other bees where a
more attractive pollen source, such as apple blossoms, is located. The bees
aren't native to
Tomatoes continue to ripen as long as they are on the vine which is why the
Eurofresh tomatoes are picked in clusters. The redder tomatoes will be shipped
to the
"The plants see the tomatoes as seed transportation," Leitch said. "The more attractive the tomato, the more
animals (in nature) will want to eat them. The fruit has a high concentration
of sugar so they will want to come back. "Our tomatoes are closest to what
you would grow at home. That's why they taste so good."
Leitch said he would like to see a food
classification between organic and field produce, pointing out that organic
produce is no safer than field produce except for the fact pesticides aren't
used on it. "The definition of organic is that it has to be grown in
compost or soil," he said. "We feed our plants with nutrients in a
refined manner. We don't use pesticides. "Organic is kind of a misnomer.
Our biggest problem is that people don't know what we offer in our tomato
production."
Leitch offers a quick tip for consumers if their
tomatoes are too green. Just place them in a paper bag with a banana for one
day. Eurofresh Farms was first established in
"The main facility was chosen with the assistance of Merle Jenson at the
Another reason for choosing Willcox was the fact the area had a good
agricultural workforce although finding workers has become more challenging in
the past few years, he said. The Snowflake plant's work force includes inmates
from the state prison near
"A facility was already here and we wanted to keep our operations in
The greenhouses are divided into four "farms," two 10-acre farms in
the original 20 acres and two 12-acre farms in the newer portion. Having the
four plots gives Eurofresh a lot of flexibility in their production," Leitch said. The greenhouses in Snowflake are higher than
those in Willcox because Willcox's facility has a
heating system and Snowflake's doesn't. Instead, the Snowflake plant has a
buffer from the top of the plant to the roof of about 10 feet.
The Willcox farm produces a variety of tomatoes, including beefsteak, roma campari and grape tomatoes
as well as European cucumbers. The Snowflake farm only produces utility
tomatoes. Eurofresh has enough land on their property to build another 48- to
50-acre greenhouse but that won't be built until the Southern Solution for
flood control in that area is built.
Desert plant may be key to surviving food shortage
(
The project will generate a genome sequence database that will be used as an
Internet resource for plant biologists throughout the world.
The research comes at a time when farmland across the globe normally used for
growing food such as rice and wheat is being taken over by bio-fuel crops used
for bioethanol production as a petrol substitute. Scientists believe that the
novel genes found in Kalanchoe could provide a model
of how bio-fuel plants could be grown on un-utilised
desert and semi-arid lands, rather than on fertile farmland needed for
producing food.
Biological scientist, Dr James Hartwell, said: "There is a lot of concern
over food shortage at the moment, with more farmland being commandeered for
bio-fuels. As a result of changes in our climate the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change has predicted a large expansion of arid regions so there is an
increasing need for new crop varieties that can be productive in deserts.
"Kalanchoe is a good example of how plants can
flourish in harsh environments. If we can understand how it is able to photosynthesise using much less water than current crops,
we may be able to use its genetic code to develop a crop able to withstand
harsh environmental conditions. It is essential that farmland be returned to
food production."
The genetic code of the plant will be deciphered using a DNA sequencing machine
that uses an enzyme found in fireflies as a flash light to help read the DNA
strand.
Liverpool is one of only two universities in
the UK with the technology, which can read up to half a billion DNA letters in
a few hours compared to more widely used technology that can only process
50,000.
The project is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council (BBSRC),
The University of Liverpool is a member of the Russell Group of leading
research-intensive institutions in the
USDA awards $4.1M to study honeybee disorder
(USDA) –
"Bees are an extremely valuable contributor to the overall productivity of
American agriculture, but invasive pests, diseases and environmental stresses
are putting
The Protection of Managed Bees Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), funded
through a 4-year grant from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES), aims to improve the health of managed bee
populations in agricultural systems. The research will address genomics,
breeding, pathology, immunology and applied ecology to explain the causes
behind dwindling bee populations. Researchers will work closely with the
extension community and other stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation
strategies for CCD and other significant problems.
CCD became a matter of concern in the winter of 2006-2007 when an estimated 25
percent of the beekeepers in the
CAP projects combine significant funding over time and across institutions to
support discovery and applications, and promote communication leading to
innovative science-based solutions to critical and emerging national priorities
and needs. These integrated projects focus not only on research to solve
critical issues, but also feature education and extension components that bring
knowledge gained through research to citizens at the local level. The project
will complement and/or link with existing programs and projects at the national
level.
CSREES committed $1.7 million to honeybees and pollinator research in Fiscal
Year 2007. National program leaders at USDA's Agricultural Research Service and
CSREES developed an action plan for CCD, which is a long-term plan for
research, extension and educational activities that are recommended to address
this important problem.
CSREES funded this CAP project under the National Research Initiative. Dr. Mary
Purcell-Miramontes, national program leader for
arthropod and nematode biology, developed this new CAP project and will be
coordinating this new funding opportunity.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension
programs, CSREES focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues
impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future.
Gowan acquires fungicide from Dow AgroSciences
Zoxamide is a highly active, low-use fungicide used
to control oomycete fungi infecting potatoes, vines
and vegetables. This purchase will further strengthen Gowan’s
position in these markets, and allows Dow AgroSciences to focus resources on
priority solutions in its chemical and biotechnology portfolios.
”Due to the press of competing priorities for new product development, Dow
AgroSciences, as a research-based company, has not been able to devote the time
and resources needed to position zoxamide for optimal
growth,” said David Hindes, Global Business Leader,
Fungicides. “We believe that zoxamide will be better
positioned with Gowan, where it represents a better strategic fit with the
company’s portfolio and general business direction.”
"The addition of zoxamide expands Gowan’s fungicide portfolio globally, and is consistent
with our goal to identify important products that growers need,” states Matt
Comer, Global Marketing Manager for Gowan.
Under this agreement, Gowan and its subsidiaries throughout the world will
start selling zoxamide and its formulations effective
August 1, 2008. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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