Grape tomato grower, Six L’s has informed one of its clients, Taylor Farms Pacific Inc. of Tracy, California that a lot of grape tomatoes could be contaminated with Salmonella – Six L’s and Taylor Farms have recalled these tomatoes.
Taylor Farms says that pre-packaged salads containing grape tomatoes may have been distributed to Albertsons, Savemart, Sam’s Club, Walmart and Raley’s. They have “use by” dates of early May and late April.
Clients in the following states may have these products: Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California.
The company stresses that no illnesses have been reported so far and that this recall is a precautionary measure.
The FDA is urging members of the public not to eat these products. They should return them to where they were bought for a full refund.
Taylor Farms Pacific has a telephone helpline – 209-835-6300. Members of the public can call between 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that causes gastroenteritis, food poisoning, typhoid fever, enteric fever and other illnesses. In most cases, humans become infected after consuming tainted water or foods, especially eggs, poultry and meat. However, as in this case, vegetables can also be contaminated.
Salmonellosis means salmonella infection, it is the illness.
Salmonellosis can sometimes be a serious and even deadly infection in very young children, elderly individuals and patients with weakened immune systems. A healthy person might experience nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomachache and fever. There may be blood in stools. Rarely, bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause very serious complications.
Salmonellosis is much more common in America than people realize. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), over 1,400,000 people in the United States are affected annually, and about 500 patients die. The incidence of salmonellosis in Western Europe is much lower than in the USA. According to the HPA (Health Protection Agency), UK, 9,864 people in the United Kingdom were affected in 2008.
Source: Food and Drug Administration, Medical News Today internal archives
Written by Christian Nordqvist