Jobless Claims Hit 26-Year High The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of newly jobless workers seeking benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 626,000, from the previous week's upwardly revised figure of 591,000. The latest total is far more than analysts' expectations of 583,000. ...more

February 6, 2009

Florida's tomato farmers were not to blame for the salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 1,200 people this summer, but they have suffered the brunt of the economic consequences. They want compensation for their estimated $100 million in losses, and they deserve it. ...more

July 25, 2008

Food should not make people sick. When it does, federal authorities need to move decisively to warn the public and, equally important, to isolate the problem. ...more

July 2, 2008

For those willing to brave the summer sun, plucking tomatoes hot off the vine is a longstanding Florida treat. ...more

June 21, 2008

For those willing to brave the summer sun, plucking tomatoes hot off the vine is a longstanding Florida treat. ...more

June 20, 2008

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is reaching out to growers, distributors and retailers of Florida-grown tomatoes to help restore confidence in the state's tomato crop. In an effort to assist with the sale of Florida tomatoes now that the areas in production have been declared safe, the department will offer "Fresh from Florida" labels and/or point of purchase materials upon request. Anyone involved in the production or sale of Florida tomatoes can call the Division of Marketing and Development at 850-488-9948 or e-mail mailto:fapc@doacs.state.fl.us. The logos are also temporarily being placed on the department's Web site, www.florida-agriculture.com, for distributors and retailers to download. There will be no charge for the requested materials or for shipping. The material will be available for 10 days. For continued use of the "Fresh from Florida" logo, businesses are encouraged to contact the Division of Marketing and Development for information about Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC) membership. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration put the areas of Florida currently in tomato production on the "safe to eat" list indicating they could not be the source of a salmonella outbreak that has impacted predominantly western states. Tomato harvesting is currently under way in the Quincy, Palmetto and Ruskin areas. ...more

June 14, 2008

A Southwest Florida man is the state's first victim of the salmonella outbreak tied to raw tomatoes. ...more

June 14, 2008

Export-quality tomatoes labeled "Ready to Eat" in English flooded Mexico City markets on Thursday after a salmonella scare in the United States stopped them from crossing the border. ...more

June 13, 2008

Food-safety experts can't yet rule out all Florida-grown tomatoes as the culprit behind the recent nationwide salmonella outbreak. ...more

June 11, 2008

The federal government has determined that Florida-grown tomatoes did not cause the recent salmonella outbreak in the United States, Florida's agriculture commissioner said this afternoon, which should clear the way for the tomatoes to return to store shelves. ...more

June 10, 2008