Tomatoes off the Menu in Huntington
Cafeterias in the Huntington School District stopped serving tomatoes last week after a nationwide warning was issued concerning reports of people becoming ill after eating tomatoes tainted with Salmonella.
As of last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were nearly 170 cases in 17 states, according to wire service reports. About two dozen people have needed hospitalization.
Huntington was advised on the matter by Whitsons, which provides food service consulting services to the district and the district’s produce distributor. “We will discontinue the use of tomatoes in our kitchens until this concern has been lifted,” said David H. Grackin, assistant superintendent for finance and management services.
Federal officials have been searching for the case of the contamination. Florida produces the biggest tomato crop in the nation.
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