Description
The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers in New Mexico and Texas
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, red Roma, or round red tomatoes
are the cause. At this time, consumers in New Mexico and Texas 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.
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 (which may be bloody),
nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the organism can
get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses. Consumers
in New Mexico and Texas 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.
From April 23 though June 1, 2008, there have been 57 reported cases of salmonellosis
caused by Salmonella Saintpaul in New Mexico and Texas, including
17 hospitalizations. Approximately 30 reports of illness in Arizona,
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Utah are currently being investigated
to determine whether they are also linked to tomatoes. There are no reported
deaths.
FDA recognizes that the source of the contaminated tomatoes may be limited
to a single grower or packer or tomatoes from a specific geographic area. FDA
also recognizes that there are many tomato crops across the country and in
foreign countries that are just becoming ready for harvest or will become ready
in the coming months. In order to ensure that consumers can continue
to enjoy tomatoes that are safe to eat, FDA is working diligently with the
states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service,
and various food industry trade associations to quickly determine the source
and type of the contaminated tomatoes. As more information
becomes available, FDA will update this warning.
Last year FDA began a multi-year Tomato
Safety Initiative to reduce the incidence of tomato-related foodborne
illness. The Initiative is a collaborative effort between FDA and the state
health and agriculture departments in Virginia and Florida, in cooperation
with several universities and members of the produce industry.
A key element of the Food
Protection Plan -- a scientific and a risk-based approach to strengthen
and protect the nation's food supply—is prevention. FDA encourages producers
to critically reexamine their operations and apply the scientific principles
and regulations established decades ago to provide a safe product for the consumer.
Information on safe handling of produce can be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodsafe.html.
Tomato consumer page can be found at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html
Updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/