Brian Long, director
NCDA&CS Public Affairs
(919) 733-4216, ext. 242

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will discuss the negative impact on N.C. farmers of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent advisory regarding jalapeno peppers. An area jalapeno pepper grower who already has suffered market losses is scheduled to attend the news conference.

Wednesday, July 23, 2 p.m.

Farmers Building
State Farmers Market
1201 Agriculture St., Raleigh

On Monday, the FDA advised the public to avoid eating any fresh jalapeno peppers, regardless of where they were grown. The FDA made the announcement even though its investigation found Salmonella Saintpaul on a jalapeno pepper from Mexico.

The FDA’s announcement has serious implications for North Carolina jalapeno growers, who already are seeing the market for their produce decrease.

According to the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture, North Carolina ranks eighth nationally in the production of chile peppers, a category that includes jalapenos. North Carolina farmers grow about 1,000 acres of chile peppers.