FDA: Don't Eat Certain Types of Raw Tomatoes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers nationwide to avoid eating certain types of raw tomatoes unless the source of the tomatoes can be traced to states or countries not associated with a recent outbreak of Salmonella infection.

In a warning issued on Friday, FDA advises consumers to "not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes" unless the tomatoes are from states and countries not linked to the outbreak. FDA encourages consumers to contact the store where tomatoes were purchased to verify the source. Other types of tomatoes -- including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached -- have not been linked to any illness.

The new warning comes after federal health officials last week announced a potential link between consumption of raw tomatoes and an outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, since mid-April, 145 persons in 16 states have been infected with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul, with 23 persons requiring hospitalization for their illness.

• Salmonellosis Outbreak in Certain Types of Tomatoes (FDA)
• Updated CDC Information on Outbreak
• Sources Not Associated with Recent Salmonellosis Outbreak (FDA)
• What is Salmonella? (FindLaw)
• Food Poisoning and the Law (FindLaw)