A salmonella scare linked to tomatoes and possibly hot peppers has prompted a lot of people to change their grocery habits.

Nearly half the people questioned in a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll say they've stopped buying things they used to because they're afraid of getting sick. More than a-quarter have thrown things out. Some have switched their produce shopping from supermarkets to farmers' markets, believing they're safer.

Food safety expert Michael Taylor of George Washington University says shopper concern is having a "very significant" impact on the food business. Tomato growers alone figure they've lost 100 million dollars because of the salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 1,200 people nationwide.

Federal health officials gave tomatoes a green light Thursday, but still don't know the source of the outbreak.

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