(TRENTON) – New Jersey was added today to the Food and Drug Administration’s list of states whose tomatoes have been ruled out as a cause of a recent tomato-related salmonella outbreak, officially making tomatoes grown here safe for sale and consumption, Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus said.

“There are still a few weeks to go before New Jersey’s field-grown tomatoes are harvested this season, so the only question was about those grown in greenhouses,” said Secretary Kuperus.

“Those began making their way to market in mid-May, well after the April 23 timeframe in which the FDA has said the suspect tomatoes were being purchased and consumed. Greenhouse tomatoes are grown in controlled environments, with a lowered possible exposure to bacterial contamination.”

FDA has not yet been able to pinpoint where the tomatoes responsible for the salmonella outbreak came from, so the agency is maintaining a list of states from which the tomatoes could not have originated. This will help retailers be confident that selling tomatoes from those states will not present a safety concern for consumers.

The list can be found at: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retailers.

Kuperus reminded consumers that even produce grown in states ruled out as a possible source of the outbreak should always be handled properly to avoid contamination. Such steps include:

* Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.
* Cut away and discard any damaged or bruised areas on produce.
* Thoroughly wash all produce before eating, even if you plan to peel it.
* Dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present.

For more information on produce safety, visit the Department’s Food Safety web site at: www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/hottopics/approved/topics070319.html or the FDA’s Produce Safety page at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/prodsafe.html.