(The Associated Press) -- With the outbreak from salmonella-tainted tomatoes in its fifth week, what's the latest consumer advice?

-Avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that Food and Drug Administration has cleared of suspicion. Check FDA's Web site -- http://www.fda.gov -- for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.-This outbreak aside, always choose tomatoes and other fresh produce without bruises or other damage.

-Keep uncut tomatoes at room temperature for best flavor -- but once sliced, tomatoes must be refrigerated promptly, to avoid bacterial growth.

-Wash fresh tomatoes under running water just before eating them.

Commercial tomato producers are urged to avoid washing warm or hot tomatoes in water that's more than 10 degrees cooler than the pulp. The temperature difference can make the tomato suck water in through the scar where its stem was, potentially bringing in surface germs like salmonella.

Salmonella can lurk in backyard gardens, too. But home gardeners tend to wash their tomatoes just before eating them. That means that even if germs from surface dirt sneak inside, they wouldn't have time to grow, says Virginia Tech food microbiologist Robert Williams. Still, to be cautious, he doesn't advise a dunk in cold water.

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