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Salmonella-Tainted Tomatoes Linked to Markets, Restaurants
Officials say the salmonella outbreak isn't tied to a single grocery or restaurant chain.
(By Russel A. Daniels -- Associated Press)
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"The spinach outbreak was very influential," said Patricia Griffin at the CDC.
The FDA has been communicating with industry groups about the outbreak. But no one in the agency consulted with McDonald's before the company decided to pull its tomatoes, FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings said.
Federal investigators know that certain types of tomatoes are safe -- such as cherry and grape -- and certain locales are safe because harvest times and distribution patterns don't match the salmonella outbreak, Acheson said.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacteria are usually spread by eating food contaminated with animal feces. Most infected people suffer fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
Many people recover without treatment. But severe infection and death are possible. Infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk for severe infections.
Health officials say they are aware of 13 tomato-associated outbreaks since 1990.
Bloomberg News contributed to this report.
