Got this e mail from a friend the other day:

Thank you for contacting Mastronardi Produce/Sunset regarding the recent

Salmonella issues that reference Red Roma, Red Plum, and large red round

tomatoes.

We first of all are very glad and appreciative that you have taken the

time to ask us if our tomatoes are safe for consumption. We hope the

following information will clarify your concerns and give you a better

level of comfort when using our products.

The salmonellosis outbreak from tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella

Saintpaul that has hit the US since April 16 is tragic and a grave

concern for both the general public and the tomato production industry.

The outbreak does not appear to be over or to have yet peaked. Every

day, we learn that new illnesses are being reported. Our heartfelt

thoughts and prayers are with these people and their families during

these trying times and we wish everyone a healthy, quick and full

recovery.

This tragic event has undoubtedly derailed consumer confidence in the

food safety of tomatoes and left us all with a lot of unanswered

questions. The US FDA and CDC are continuing to work around the clock

to narrow down the source point. Although they are getting closer, we

still do not have definitive answers about the source point other than

excluded tomato types and production regions. This is clearly a

developing situation that requires patience by us all.

Over the last few days, we have been inundated with hundreds of phone

calls, visitors and email inquiries about the status of our tomato

products. We want to reassure everyone that we have an unwavering

commitment to food safety and are doing everything in our power to

provide safe and healthy tomato products. We have a fully comprehensive

Food Safety System that encompasses from farm to customer. Our Food

Safety System is managed by a team of scientists that cover programs for

Good Agricultural and Good Manufacturing Practices, Sanitation, Pest

Control, Food Security, Food Defense, Microbiology and Post-Harvest

Technology to name a few. We are one of the few companies in this

industry that randomly tests our suppliers and products for E. coli,

Listeria and Salmonella. We do this testing internally, and also use

collaborating resource labs to confirm our test results. Additionally,

our food safety system is audited annually by accredited and independent

third-party audit firms. Given the strong commitment that we have taken

with food safety, we have no reason to believe that any of our tomato

products are associated with the recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.

To provide clarity to our customers and tomato product consumers, we

want to focus on what we feel to be tomato products of no association

with this outbreak. From reviewing the information provided by FDA and

CDC, the term round red tomato means a fairly large type tomato - a

tomato that is larger than a ball with a 3-inch diameter. Tomatoes

types that are large and oblong and look like a Plum or a Roma type and

do not have vines attached have also been implicated by FDA. Yet

tomatoes that are of colors other than red regardless of size have not

been implicated, those with vines attached have not been implicated and

those of the types Cherry and Grape have not been implicated. So what

does this mean for our products?

We are very confident that the following listing of Sunset Branded

products are safe for consumption.

Tomatoes as sourced from any region

Grape tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes

Campari Cocktail tomatoes

Yellow tomatoes

Orange tomatoes

Tri-Color tomatoes

Sunshine tomatoes

Vivaldi tomatoes

Splendido tomatoes

Medley tomatoes

Gourmet Medley

Tomatoes On-the-Vine

Romana On-The-Vine tomatoes

Yellow Beefsteak Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Couer de Boeuf tomatoes

Strawberry Tomatoes

Cocktail Tomatoes

Champagne Cocktail Tomatoes

Tomatoes as sourced from regions cleared by FDA: Alabama, Arkansas,

California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida (specifically the counties of:

Jackson, Gladsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton,

Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco,

Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte), Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine,

Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina,

South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia,

Wisconsin, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel,

Netherlands & Puerto Rico. Shipments of tomatoes from Florida from

specified counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

All tomatoes, including the large red tomatoes, the Roma and Plum types.

As part of our Food Safety System, we have a strong trace back program

and at the time of packing know the source point.


We hope this information clarifies concerns and gives you more peace of

mind when purchasing and consuming our many tomato products. And

lastly, please be reminded that we are very committed to food safety and

take food safety quite seriously. We do this because it is good for our

business, it is good for our customers, and it is good for our tomato

product consumers - but most importantly it is the right thing to do.

Sincerely,

Chris Veillon

Chris Veillon

Marketing Manager