To help, the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will offer "Fresh from Florida" labels and point-of-purchase materials upon request for growers and retailers who want to convey the message that Florida tomatoes are a safe choice.

State Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said Friday the department wanted to get the word out that the tomatoes are safe, wholesome and grown under the strictest regulations in the nation. Use of the "Fresh from Florida" logo will help communication that message.

"We want to reach out to make sure our tomatoes not only make it to the retail shelves, but also into consumers' shopping carts," Bronson said. "When they see the 'Fresh from Florida' logo, they will know exactly where the tomatoes were grown."

Reports of more than 228 people in 23 states becoming ill from fresh tomatoes contaminated with salmonella has rocked the industry and prompted restaurants and others to pull tomatoes from their menus. Since Tuesday, Florida's Division of Fruit and Vegetables has been busy issuing certificates with each shipment of tomatoes, indicating the harvest date and location. Nearly 4 million 25-pound cartons have been certified since Tuesday afternoon.

"We love the idea," said Samantha Winters, director of education and promotions for the Florida Tomato Committee, regarding the "Fresh from Florida" plan. "The FDA is asking the public, when they are buying tomatoes, to ask were they were sourced from."

Winters said the industry is committed to producing a safe product and notes that Florida was the first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive food-safety program with mandatory government inspection and audit of its tomatoes

Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, said his state's tomato industry is in serious trouble. "At this time, the growing regions that produced the tomatoes that were identified as the source of the salmonella outbreak do not have any tomatoes in the marketplace," he said. "Yet other growing regions just entering the market, such as Georgia, are faced with the issue of educating consumers that our tomatoes are safe to eat."

Since the shelf life of fresh tomatoes is three to four weeks at most, the threat of illness should be over for consumers. However the threat of financial ruin is still very real for all tomato growers, he added. The value of the tomato industry in Georgia alone is more than $70 million annually.

Parts of Florida and Mexico were supplying "the vast majority" of tomatoes sold when the salmonella outbreak began in April and thus remain leading suspects, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

Check FDA's Web site — www.fda.gov — for an updated list of specific states and counties that have been cleared of suspicion.

The northern part of Florida is on that safe-to-eat list, while counties in the central and southern part haven't yet been cleared, Acheson said.