Raw Red Tomatoes Linked to Salmonella Poisoning

States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

In response, on Saturday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, warned consumers nationwide that the salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes.

The FDA says consumers can continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home.

Using traceback and other distribution pattern information, the FDA has published a list of states, territories, and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested which have not been associated with this outbreak and so are safe to eat.

This updated list of safe tomato sources includes: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.

This list will be updated as more information becomes available. If unsure of where tomatoes are grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomato purchase was made.

The FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators not offer for sale and service raw red Roma, raw red plum, and raw red round tomatoes unless they are from the sources listed above. McDonalds has responded to this advice by pulling tomato slices from its sandwiches.

The illnesses have been linked to the pathogen Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon type of salmonella, the agency says.

The FDA has not yet identified the source of the contaminated tomatoes, but says they may be limited to a single grower or packer or tomatoes from a specific geographic area.

In order to ensure that consumers can continue to enjoy tomatoes that are safe to eat, FDA is working with the states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, and food industry trade associations to quickly determine the source of the tomatoes associated with the outbreak.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections particularly in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses. Consumers who have recently eaten raw tomatoes or foods containing raw tomatoes and are experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.

All salmonella infections should be reported to state or local health authorities.

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