Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, announced Wednesday that Virginia tomatoes are safe to eat and are not associated with the salmonellosis outbreak in 16 states.

The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that Virginia tomatoes will be included on the safe list when it is updated Wednesday evening. Using traceback and distribution information, FDA published a list of states, territories and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested that have not been associated with this outbreak. The FDA continues to update the list with new safe sources.

“Virginia tomatoes have never been associated with this outbreak,” says Haymore. “In fact, when it occurred, Virginia tomatoes were still in the field, where 95 percent of them remain today. We are concerned that Virginia was not listed as a safe state before today, but the important point is that Virginia tomatoes of any variety are safe to buy and consume.”

Haymore plans on working with the FDA to prevent such delays in the future.

The FDA recommends that consumers not eat certain types of raw tomatoes: red Roma, red plum, or red round, unless they are from Virginia or other approved sources. A list of the states not associated with the outbreak is available at a link below this story.

Some varieties have never been implicated in the salmonella issue. These include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with vine attached and tomatoes grown at home.

“Consumers have two ways of being sure their tomatoes are safe,” says Haymore. “They can limit their consumption to cherry, grape, vine-attached or home-grown tomatoes, or better yet, they can ask at grocery stores and restaurants if the tomatoes they sell or serve are Virginia grown. When they buy directly from the farmer at farmer’s markets, roadside stands or pick-your-own farms, they can buy any type of tomato with confidence. The good news is that Virginia’s tomato harvest should begin a little early this year, around June 20.”

The harvest season normally begins in July, but with a mild winter, many growers anticipate a late June harvest. Tomatoes are a big crop in the state. Virginia currently ranks fourth in the nation for fresh-market tomatoes.