Tomatoes: have disappeared from many grocery stores' shelves, in response to the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that has infected more than 200 people in 23 states. Lindsey Davidson / PHOTO EDITOR
“Tomato, tomahto.”
It doesn’t matter how you say it. Just don’t eat it.
An ongoing Salmonella outbreak in tomatoes across 23 states has caused over 200 people to be infected since April.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a nationwide warning June 7 to refrain from consuming raw red Roma, red plum or red round tomatoes, unless their point of origin comes from states not associated with the outbreak.
Tomatoes not involved with the outbreak include cherry, grape and those sold with the vine still attached.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, 25 people were hospitalized, and one elderly man died. However, his Salmonella infection has not officially been attributed to his death, but may have helped cause it.
The CDC has identified this particular outbreak as Salmonella Saintpaul, which is the sixth most common strain that affects humans in the U.S.
Alabama Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks announced that as of June 9, Alabama-grown tomatoes were placed on the FDA’s “safe to eat” list.
“The tomatoes that have caused the problem of Salmonella have been put on the market for the last few weeks,” Sparks said. “We just started picking our tomatoes this week in Alabama, so if our tomatoes have not been out in the marketplace, then they can’t be a part of the problem.”
Many restaurants and grocery stores have temporarily taken tomatoes off their menus. One of those restaurants, Moe’s Southwest Grill, has stopped making its pico de gallo, which is usually prepared daily.
“It’s more of a corporate decision,” said Joe Barnett, Auburn Moe’s manager. “Because it’s affecting some Moe’s, all Moe’s have decided to stop carrying their fresh tomatoes and fresh pico until the issue is resolved.”
The FDA has not determined exactly where the Salmonella-tainted tomatoes came from, but they do believe it is probably limited to a single grower or packer in a specific region.
The reason the search is taking so long is because tomatoes’ origins are difficult to trace. They don’t come with barcodes, and most consumers don’t know what part of the world their tomatoes were grown in.
“I’ve always been pushing for a country of origin labeling, so produce will have traceability in this country and in the state of Alabama,” Sparks said.
Sparks warned consumers to be cautious if a tomato’s source is unknown, and ask the retailer to verify where it came from.
“If I was a grocery store or a retail store, and I bought my tomatoes in Alabama, I’d put a sign up,” Sparks said.
Many retailers, like Burger King, who have taken tomatoes completely off their menus have signs displayed around their restaurants.
“A few of the customers are asking questions, but a lot of them still don’t realize we’re not selling tomatoes. If they ask for extra tomatoes, we have to tell them. Plus, we have signs posted everywhere,” said Auburn Burger King manager Tay Davis.
So, is it safe to eat any tomatoes?
“If they’re grown in Alabama, absolutely,” Sparks said.
“As a matter of fact, I had a tomato sandwich this morning, and that’s the honest truth,” he said with a laugh.
For a complete list of states not associated with the outbreak, visit www.fda.gov.
