Tomato Samanella made 200+ people sick - is recall worth the $500 Million loss?

Question

Samanella is a naturally occuring bacteria. 200+ people out of millions who ate tomatos got sick from it. Was the recall justified? Was the destruction of the Florida tomato (and elsewhere) and the $500 million in recall costs justified to save another 200+ from getting sick?

Answer 1

No it wasn't justified.  It's called panic.  I live in FL and the economy is awful here.  Everyone I know is either in danger of losing there jobs, or already has.  We don't need any more unemployed people!..

Answer 2

The recall was definitely not justified. Even the affected tomatoes would have been OK if they were washed well, maybe using a weak bleach solution if you were really worried. Too much was made of it on the 24 hour news stations and it caused a panic resulting in many farmers being devastated. They have ruled Florida, Texas, and California tomatoes free from Salmonella, but the damage was already done. Ten to one if they ever find the source it will be Mexico.

Answer 3

It's "salmonella" and it can cause fatalities. What's a human life worth?