Salmonella Leads Restaurants to Hold the Tomatoes

RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:

NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

SCOTT HORSLEY: That's cast a dark cloud over tomato fields in Florida, where half the nation's fresh tomatoes are grown. President Michael Stuart of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association says if the investigation drags on, farmers could be left with unsold tomatoes, rotting on the vine.

MICHAEL STUART: They're extremely frustrated in that business has basically ground to a halt at this point in time. We're anxiously awaiting a determination by the Food and Drug Administration as to what the specific source of this problem is. And until that happens, quite frankly, we're dead in the water.

HORSLEY: Scott Horsley, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.