You say "tomato", I say "salmonella". Yikes!

Yesterday afternoon I typed the keywords 'tomato, scare, health' into my search engine and Google replied with a lead saying that "McDonald's says it has pulled tomatoes in its restaurants across the nation..."  Now, if there were ever a better time for McDonald's to lead a conversation, I don't know when that would be. Whole Foods too since they were mentioned second. What's even more startling to me is that there was nothing in any of the listings "above the fold" that explained to me the situation, its scope, or how it might affect me and my family.   Like me, consumers across America are confused by the seemingly unbelievable news that one of our food staples, fresh sliced tomatoes, is suddenly clustered in our national conversation with mad cow disease and mercury in the tuna fish. Evening newscasters simply headline the topic to sensationalize the issue and draw in viewers for their ratings...but do little to provide the information necessary to quell the concerns of an over-anxious populace. We think the responsibility to control and, in fact, lead this conversation belongs to those trusted brands who are linked to the issue because of their product offering and to whom we turn for information.  At times like this, marketers like McDonald's and Whole Foods and Wegman's, to name a few, can do a real service by first listening to their customers' questions by keeping an "ear" to the internet blogging world and then responding in ways that address their concerns, directly and in full disclosure.  We think "tomato-nella" was a missed opportunity all the way around.  What do you think?  Join the conversation......