U.S. Health Officials Closer to Origin of Salmonella Outbreak

And, until a source for the outbreak is identified, consumers need to employ a little detective work before consuming tomatoes or tomato products.

"The best advice right now is to be extremely careful in trying to find out exactly where the tomatoes they're purchasing are from," said Tony Corbo, legislative representative for Food & Water Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit consumer group that works to ensure clean water and safe food.

"The other problem with tomatoes is that they have shown up in restaurants and in salsa. So, maybe for the time being, consumers should stay away from anything that is processed," Corbo said.

On Tuesday, FDA officials also recommended that retailers, restaurants and other food service operators not offer raw, red Roma, raw, red plum, and raw, red round tomatoes unless they are from sources that have not been associated with the outbreak. If unsure of where tomatoes were grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomato purchase was made, the agency said.

Several large fast food, restaurant and grocery chains, including McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Kroger and Outback Steakhouse, have voluntarily withdrawn red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes not grown in certain states and countries. Also, the Los Angeles Unified School District has suspended serving raw tomatoes, theAPsaid.

The FDA recommends consuming raw, red plum, raw, red Roma or raw, red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from these areas: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Belgium, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

"The tomatoes that are being grown at home or in local gardens in the area should be fine," said Sharon Wilkerson, acting dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing in College Station. "The main thing is to really wash things, and [tomatoes] should be washed before removing the hull or stem. Tomatoes you see in stores that are multiples on stems are usually grown in hot houses, and they should be OK."

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, the FDA said.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in humans. Some 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States each year, although the CDC estimates that because milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be 30 or more times greater. Approximately 600 people die each year after being infected.

Tomatoes can be a particular problem, Williams said, with 13 multi-state outbreaks of salmonella linked to tomatoes since 1990.

Acheson denied that the food-safety system is deteriorating, pointing out, instead, that technology for detection is improving at the same time consumers are becoming more informed. "The situation is not getting worse but this is a reactive mode we're in," he said. "Where we're trying to focus is prevention. We are working with the states of Florida and Virginia to understand better how to prevent contamination of tomatoes with salmonella." Other initiatives are also under way, he said.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on the current salmonella outbreak.

SOURCES: Tony Corbo, legislative representative, Food & Water Watch, Washington, D.C.; Sharon A. Wilkerson, Ph.D., R.N., acting dean, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing, College Station; June 11, 2008 teleconference with David Acheson, M.D., associate commissioner for foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Ian Williams, M.D., chief, OutbreakNet Team, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention