Fla. Senate passes tomato safety bill

The Florida state Senate has passed a bill to ensure the safety of Florida-grown tomatoes following a false salmonella scare in 2008.

The measure won approval Tuesday and is intended to set minimum safety standards and authorize the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to inspect farms, greenhouses and packing facilities.

Florida produces between 40 and 50 percent of the country's fresh tomato supply.

A federal investigation of a salmonella outbreak initially focused on tomatoes. The investigation was then shifted to jalepeno peppers grown in Mexico after traces of salmonella were not found on tomatoes.