Salmonellosis Outbreak in Certain Types of Tomatoes Updated: June 9, 2008

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Salmonellosis Outbreak in Certain Types of Tomatoes
Updated: June 9, 2008

Topics on this Page

• Introduction
• Update on the Outbreak
• News Updates
• Advice for Retailers, Restaurateurs and Food Service Operators

• Consumer Health Information
• What Is FDA Doing?
• Information About Salmonella
• How Do I Report a Tomato Complaint?

Introduction

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak appears to be linked to consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. The bacteria causing the illnesses are Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella.

The specific type and source of tomatoes are under investigation. However, preliminary data suggest that raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw round red tomatoes are the cause. At this time, consumers should limit their tomato consumption to tomatoes that have not been implicated in the outbreak. These include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home.

Red Plum/Red Roma tomatoes implicated in outbreak	Round red tomato implicated in outbreak

Update on the Outbreak

June 9, 2008: The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warning to consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw, red tomatoes.

At this time, FDA is advising consumers to limit their consumption of tomatoes to the following types of tomatoes. The following types of tomatoes listed below are NOT likely to be the source of this outbreak.

• cherry tomatoes

• grape tomatoes
• tomatoes sold with the vine still attached
• tomatoes grown at home

Also, FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following areas that HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTBREAK:

Alabama
Arkansas
California
Georgia
Hawaii

Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
New York

Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee

Texas
West Virginia

Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala

Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico

Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they  have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of  purchase for that information.

Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in  the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are  part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.

Restaurants, grocery stores, and food service operators have been advised by the FDA not to offer for sale or service raw red plum, Roma, or red tomatoes and products made from these types of tomatoes unless they are from one of the areas listed above.

Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis  nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon form of  Salmonella.  At least 23 hospitalizations have been reported.

News Updates

• FDA Warns Consumers Nationwide Not to Eat Certain Types of Raw Red Tomatoes (June 7, 2008)
• FDA Warns Consumers in New Mexico and Texas Not to Eat Certain Types of Raw Red Tomatoes (June 3, 2008)

Advice for Retailers, Restaurateurs and Food Service Operators

Frequently Asked Questions

FDA traceback review, in addition to production and distribution pattern information, has indicated that tomatoes from the following sources are not associated with the outbreak:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• California

• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Minnesota

• Mississippi
• New York
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania

• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• West Virginia
• Belgium
• Canada

• Dominican Republic
• Guatemala
• Israel
• Netherlands
• Puerto Rico

FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators offer only fresh and fresh cut red Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes and food products made from these tomatoes for sale or service from the sources listed above.

FDA further recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators continue to offer cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, from any source.

Consumer Health Information

• Warning on Certain Types of Raw Red Tomatoes
• Frequently Asked Questions

• How the FDA Works to Keep Produce Safe
• Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices

What is FDA Doing?

• Tomato Safety Initiative

• Food Protection Plan

Information About Salmonella

• Investigation of Outbreak of Infections Caused by Salmonella Saintpaul (CDC)

• General Information: Salmonella (CDC)
• Questions & Answers: Salmonella (CDC)

How Do I Report a Tomato Complaint?

• Please contact your Consumer Complaint Coordinator

 

Related Links

• Vegetables and Melons: Tomatoes (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)

Subscribe to FDA Recalls

• Recalls & Alerts [what is rss?]
• Subscribe to Recalls Email List

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FDA Website Management Staff

[Lijahsbubbe]

Tomatoes are my favorite too, but they’re a fruit! :O

[cricket]

This outbreak will be traced back to the source, and someone (or company) will be out of business and new regulations probably put in place.

Which is why 'outbreaks' such as this; leave me as curious; as I am suspicious.

As did the 'lead paint' scare; bird flu; mad cow et al. Seems a whole lot of manipulation and creation of 'fear' going on; all to which damage our economy and impact the next reported bad-news stats.

Not to say there are not some genuine concerns here; but question the MO; and if there is not a bigger agenda, that is driving 'consumer warnings'.

[It is so typical of the 'demonization' tactics of the Left. One of the newer 'demons' are the plastic water bottles; and now 'tap' is best. These folks get to the heart of the matter quickly, by creating 'fear' - if only one of vanity. So, best campaign efforts have us hearing how plastic bottles make 'lip wrinkles'! (Can only imagine how 'kissing' might impact one's face as well! But they do not explain. . .)]

Anyway; bottom line, should may well be; Buyer 'Beware' - particularly as to what the intent may be behind the 'warning message'. . .

[jerry639]

They’ve been known to nurse a green tomato into ripening on the windowsill well into December, LOL! :)

We pick our still green tomatoes just before frost, wash them in a very weak solution of bleach and water, let them dry and store in a dark place. Have had ripe tomatoes from the garden as late as December.

About half of our green tomatoes, that are not going to ripen before frost, end up slice and fried.

[jerry639]

You had ripe homegrown tomatoes today? I’m jealous! Won’t have any homegrown tomatoes for at least another month here.

[festus]

We are all gonna die die I tell ya !!!

Now please pass me some of those fresh tomatoes I need to put them next to my undercooked steak and eat them with my unwashed hands.

Sufferin sassafras the nation is run by the professional handwringers lately.

[Graybeard58]

They were cherry tomatoes, which are usually the first I get.

Two - not even a mouth full.

[Old Flat Toad]

I would bet on the outside. Contamination comes from illegals locked in with the produce for days at a time. The ‘maters can be whistle clean as they pass border inspection only to be shat upon a few miles down the road.

[VanShuyten]

Twenty years ago, a guy at work was boasting that he only liked eating raw veggies until I started asking him how much he knew about how they were grown.

"You've seen those half mile to a mile long rows they grow in California, haven't you?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Did you also notice the privies at the ends of the rows?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"If you're in the middle of the row, and you have a sudden attack of gastro-enteritis, do you think you'd make it to the end of the row?"

He never ate uncooked or unpeeled vegetables, except ones grown by small, local farmers, after that.

[Dengar01]

So where did the bad ones come from? China? Mexico?

This has a 3rd world type of ring.

Well since no news media is announcing where it was grown I would bet my house it was Mexico. This is sick that we live in a society where the media purposely covers up the source of a deadly outbreak in order to be PC. If the tomatos were grown in Illinois or Virginia the states would be plastered all over the headlines.

All this thread is missing is Dane defending the rights of Mexican tomato farmers pooping in the fields therefore contaminating the tomatos...

[Dengar01]

Oh thank God the FReeper Gods have banned Dane!!! The world will be safe from illegal alien backers once more!!!

[dragnet2]

So where did the bad ones come from? China? Mexico?

This has a 3rd world type of ring.

Hmmm

New Mexico and in Texas that I know of.

[dragnet2]

Well since no news media is announcing where it was grown I would bet my house it was Mexico.

Uh, it's being reported that it was grown in Texas and New Mexico.

[dragnet2]

An unusual strain of the bacteria, called salmonella saintpaul, has sickened people in at least 16 states since April 16.

Twenty-three have been hospitalized. The majority of the infections have occurred in New Mexico and Texas, but cases also have been reported in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

[TigersEye]

ping

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "Uh, it's being reported that it was grown in Texas and New Mexico."

"Some of the first cases appeared in New Mexico, which announced an investigation May 23. About that time, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta connected the New Mexico cases to two cases in Texas. . . ."

Nothing about being connected as possible sources according to this MSM report. The Texas/New Mexico cases were connected by similarities of the problem.

The article goes on to say

Among safe tomatoes are "tomatoes grown in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Puerto Rico. The FDA also cleared tomatoes from Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel and Netherlands."

Florida and Mexico are both omitted from that list. The article did not explain why except to say that Florida has had problems in the past and there was no mention of Mexico in the article at all. I say that proves that the source is known to be Mexico -- that of course is IMHO.

[topher]

We are able to get Louisiana tomatoes at the Albertson's near my home.

[gardengirl]

Goodness Grows in NC!

Statewide project to educate people about how much food NC farmers produce. Course, “farmers” includes commercial fishermen, and my guys hunt and we garden. Miss the dairy stuff. Just no good here.

[Mila]

"is this disease IN the tomatoe?...or on the outside......"p>

I'm pretty sure that it's on the inside, drawn up into the tomato as it grows in salmonella infected soil. It gets inside the plant through the root hairs and once inside it just keeps multiplying. You should always wash your vegetables, but in this case it won't solve the problem.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I don’t know why EVERY state doesn’t toot their own horn this way. You can’t swing a dead cat around here without hitting a Farm Stand in the summer months...they even have indoor Farmer’s Markets during the winter months now for baked goods, jams & jellies, preserves of all kinds, wine, cheese, etc.

Life is Good. :)

[girlangler]

You dried out yet Diana? Been watching the news and it’s tragic, I saw where there were some deaths in Indiana.

I have some good sized tomatoes on one of my plants, and 25 tomatoe plants in all.

I bought a big red one at the local grocery store this week (because mine are still green) but it will probably be my last one, and it was grown near here. We have “Grainger County” tomatoes now at the stores, they are the next best thing to ones you grow.

LOL. Like you, at the end of the growing season I have my windows full of green ones. I think today I’ll pick the few big green ones I have and stick them in the window.