Mexico Trucker Online

And no closer to a cause for the Salmonella SaintPaul outbreak

McALLEN — The Food and Drug Administration’s attempt to target a source for the nationwide salmonella outbreak has effectively shut down Texas border tomato traffic — and that of cilantro, jalapeños, other peppers and other produce — even as tainted ones have yet to be found in Mexico.

Industry losses, estimated at $250 million for the initially implicated tomatoes alone, are mounting as the FDA widens its probe. The standstill at the border is spreading through a distribution chain that reaches from the fields of Coahuila, Mexico, to wholesale markets in cities such as Atlanta and Chicago.

It’s evident in the rows of packing sheds here that normally bustle this time of year with northbound shipments of tomatoes and peppers.

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