Consumers Inconvenienced, Restaurants in Pain

As the illness toll from salmonella tainted tomatoes grows, and the popular red fruit becomes scarcer, unheralded and ripe California tomatoes are finally getting the recognition that’s been long overdue. They are showing up in illegal underground produce markets and on popular auction sites such as EBay and Craig’s List at exponentially inflated prices.

And it’s not just the tomatoes that are scarce. If you think its an inconvenience that your salad doesn’t contain any Romas, than restaurants are feeling a deep hurt as the recall is costing them many customers who won’t eat French fries without ketchup or drink vodka and celery without V-8.

“I already couldn’t afford gas, and now I can’t afford to provide untainted, auctioned salsa with my guacamole and chips,” said Dave Handy, manager of Chevy’s restaurant chain. “Consequently, people don’t buy as many margaritas.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is focusing its investigation on the suspected state of Florida and Mexico, two chief tomato suppliers, where they think the outbreak began. However, the FDA has not ruled out eco-terrorism.

“There have been recent clues that lead us to believe that Al Qaeda might be involved in some way,” said the FDA’s Jim Holleran, the Hans Blix of produce inspectors. “There have been several men of middle eastern origin that have purchased mules and overalls, and enrolled in sharecropping classes in central California. This worries us.”