There’s nothing more heartening for a farmer than to have all the stars line up: high prices for your crop, great weather throughout the growing season, and a bumper harvest at the end of the season. That’s the scenario that tomato growers found themselves in earlier this year, with record prices and a solid harvest putting a gleam in many growers’ eyes.

Then came the salmonella outbreak. More specifically, then came the Food and Drug Administration’s pronouncement that the culprit in the salmonella outbreak was none other than the humble tomato. On June 2, tomato growers were getting $16.63 per box. On June 3, the feds made their announcement. By the end of the week, the price per box had fallen by $3. By month’s end, the price had plunged by 75%. Most growers left half their crop or more rotting in the field; consumers had abandoned tomatoes so quickly and so thoroughly that it literally wasn’t worth the cost to harvest.

Salmonella is a serious disease, and this was a serious outbreak. As of this morning, almost 1300 confirmed cases have been reported, and two people have died. Food safety is an important responsibility of the FDA and state agriculture offices, and we have to take that seriously, even if it means losses – huge losses for the tomato growers, whose total loss may top $200 million this year – for farmers.

The only problem is – oops – tomatoes had nothing to do with the salmonella outbreak. The FDA’s call was flawed – and the tomato growers lost three-quarters of their crop because of it. One farmer said that he could deal with a hail storm wiping out his crop – but to have his hopes for the year destroyed by a bad call by a bureaucrat is unbearable.

Now the FDA says “never mind, it wasn’t tomatoes – it was jalapenos!” Pepper farmers will be taking their turn for a financial beating. Let’s hope that the FDA has gotten it right this time. The track record isn’t compelling – and in fact, at least one state agriculture official is advising that people ignore the FDA’s reporting until there is firmer evidence, at least as it applies to produce grown in-state, where no salmonella connection has been found.

In my view, this heightens the importance of accurate labeling on produce so that consumers can determine where their produce comes from. If there’s an outbreak of salmonella on Mexican pepper farms, then there’s no reason for people to avoid peppers grown in Georgia – but right now, most consumers can’t tell where the peppers came from. Labeling requirements would make it possible for consumers to exercise more informed caution when there are public safety issues in play. It’s rarely an entire crop or plant type that is the source of a health problem, and consumers need to be educated about the realities of managing risk in the produce market.

I suspect that my friends in the tomato industry might be in agreement.