"All of the tomato farmers may suffer long-term from the stigma that was attached," said Tom Nassif, president of the Western Growers Association, which has members in Arizona and California.
Nassif thanked the FDA for lifting the warning but said the industry is asking Congress for compensation because it appears their heavy losses resulted from mistaken speculation. "I still think it's very possible that tomatoes were never involved," he said.
Health officials acknowledged that it's possible tomatoes weren't responsible, but they continue to stick by statistical evidence that found a strong link to tomatoes.
That unwillingness to clear tomatoes troubles tomato suppliers, who fear customers won't return without a full declaration of innocence.
"They have permission to sell, but the FDA is not giving a clean bill of health, and that's going to affect consumer confidence," said Jim Prevor, editor of the trade publication Produce Business.
Prevor said the food industry will ask Congress during hearings later this month for clear standards guiding government decisions on when to alert consumers and when to remove those warnings.
The government is still warning that the elderly, the young and people with compromised immune systems should avoid eating jalapeno peppers and serrano peppers. With that warning and the focus on spicy peppers, pepper growers now fear that their $120 million-a-year industry will suffer the same as their tomato counterparts.
The United Fresh Produce Association, the food industry's leading trade group, issued a statement calling on investigators to wrap up their probe of peppers "quickly so that either the problem can be identified or, if not, these products can be cleared as well."
jonathan.rockoff @baltsun.com
