Red Plum/Red Roma tomatoes implicated in outbreak. Credit: FDA

SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The Food and Drug Administration on June 7 expanded its warning to consumers that the nationwide Salmonella outbreak has been linked to consumption of CERTAIN raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes and products made of these raw red tomatoes.

The FDA urged consumers to avoid eating these types of tomatoes or products unless they come from a source that the agency has confirmed is not involved in the outbreak.

The FDA said tomatoes from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico are safe to eat.

New Mexico where at least 40 people have fallen ill after eating tomatoes, according to the state health department, is not on the safe list, prompting many to speculate that this state may be the source of the Salmonella outbreak.   But FDA did not confirm that any grower or packer in the state may have produced the tainted products.

Not involved in the Salmonella outbreak are either cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached or those grown at home.

Round red tomato implicated in outbreak. Credit: FDA

FDA recommends that retailers, restaurants, and food service establishments not sell or serve raw red Roma, raw red plum and raw red round tomatoes unless they came from a safe source recognized by the agency.

The Centers for Disease and Prevention also updated on the outbreak on its website on June 7 saying that since mid-April, 145 cases of Salmonella illness including 23 hospitalizations have been reported in 16 states including Arizona (12 persons), California (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Idaho (2), Illinois (17), Indiana (1), Kansas (3), New Mexico (39), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (2), Texas (56), Utah (1), Virginia (2), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3). No death was reported.

Health officials have interviewed 73 people age 1 to 82 with 49 female who got sick after eating tomatoes and found their illnesses started between April 16 and May 27, 2008, according to the CDC.

Salmonella Saintpaul rarely causes outbreaks through tomatoes in the U.S.  The CDC said that only 3 persons were confirmed to get sickened by this bacterium in 2007.   Because of the delays in reporting and also because many people with Salmonella illness do not have a stool specimen tested, many more cases this year and previous years alike may not be reported.

The current outbreak is not the first that is associated with the eating of raw tomatoes.   According to the International Food Safety Network, tomatoes have been linked to 12 outbreaks in North America since 1990.

In the past ten years, tomato-associated outbreaks have occurred from the Eastern shore of Virginia and from Florida.   Outbreaks were also reported in Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, and California, according to the FDA.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps 12 to 74 hours after eating tainted food and the illness lasts often 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment.   The pathogens are more of a risk to those who are young, old, or those whose immune systems are comprised.  

An estimated 40,000 cases of Salmonella illness are reported each year in the United States.   Cases with milder conditions may not be reported, thus, the real number of cases may be much greater.