Tomato shortage isn’t bad news for everyone
By SAM EGGLESTON, Journal Ishpeming BureauMARQUETTE — Businesses are definitely feeling the tomato pinch locally, but not all of them in a bad way.
While many restaurants and grocery stores are putting up signs alerting customers that tomatoes will not be available on sandwiches and salads until a national recall has ended, some businesses are seeing a brighter side.
Farmer Q’s Market on Washington Street in downtown Marquette is one of the few that still has the familiar red fruit on the shelves.
“We are totally still selling tomatoes,” said Susan Brian, the owner of the market. “We do have tomatoes from out of state, but they are hydroponic and not from the areas that have the warnings.”
Initially, those warnings included fruit from Florida and California — the top producers of tomatoes in the United States — but both of those states on Tuesday were cleared by federal authorities of any links to the national salmonella outbreak that resulted in more than 160 people reported sick since April.
The recall prompted a massive response from stores, restaurants and distributors as they pulled Roma, red plum and round tomatoes from the shelves.
The outbreaks could probably have been avoided, Brian said.
“The lesson here is that people should wash their fruits and vegetables before eating them,” she said. “Stuff can be passed to someone through anything, especially through people not washing their hands. Everyone should take the time to wash their produce before eating it.”
Brian said her store has been lucky — not only because it purchases hydroponically grown tomatoes.
“One good thing for us is that a lot of local restaurants have purchased their tomatoes through us since they can’t get them from their distributors,” she said. “It’s helped us and it allows them to continue serving tomatoes.”
