The Mexican government, through its National Service of Food and Agriculture Health and Quality (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad e Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria - SENASICA), sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) objecting to the FDA’s allegations that Mexican jalapenos are source of the U.S. salmonella outbreak, according to today’s El Financiero.  the Director of SENASICA, said that the U.S. has not shared evidence with Mexico proving Mexico is to blame for the outbreak.  If such evidence exists, which Mr. Cruz doubted, he that the FDA should specifically identify the source of the outbreak rather than pasting blame on the country of Mexico.  Lastly, he added that the source of the salmonella is probably somewhere in the U.S. distribution chain for the peppers.

Enrique Sánchez Cruz,

Mr. Cruz’s request for information sharing by the FDA seem reasonable.  However, the FDA was correct in first identifying the general source of the outbreak as Mexico if it did not have sufficient information to pinpoint the specific source.  As Mr. Cruz indicates, the FDA should now quickly attempt to identify the specific source.  U.S. and Mexican tomato producers would probably agree.