ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin thinks Georgia-grown jalapenos are probably safe to eat and hopes they can be put back on store shelves soon.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says jalapenos that passed
through a distribution center in McAllen, Texas may be to blame for
a salmonella outbreak. The agency says raw jalapeno and serrano
peppers should not be sold or served, and should be discarded.

Irvin says he thinks the FDA is overreacting and has sent agriculture department staffers to collect samples from Georgia farms. He says if tests show the peppers are safe, he will ask Georgia supermarkets to resume selling them.

A spokesman for Irvin says the results should be available by
Monday.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)