Salmonella outbreak causes 50-state onion recall. Sellers include Walmart and Kroger
Onions sold under various brands have been recalled in all 50 states and the District of Columbia after being linked to a salmonella outbreak that’s sickened 359 people in 34 states, according to the CDC.
This includes red onions, yellow onions, white onions and sweet yellow onions. This includes onions sold at nation’s two largest grocery sellers, Walmart and Kroger. Walmart has put out a list of affected stores. Kroger sold the onions under their house brand.
The onions come from California-based onion producer Thomson International and were exported to Canada, which had 114 onion-connected salmonella cases the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday. Sysco Canada issued an onion recall up there on Thursday.
As in Canada, western regions account for most of the U.S. cases in this outbreak. Of the 359 cases, 59.6% are in Oregon (71), Utah (61), California (49) and Montana (33). But, as the CDC’s state-by-state outbreak map shows, there have been cases reported in Florida, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maine. Also, this is the rare 50-state-and-D.C. produce recall.
“When you eat out or shop for food, check with restaurants and grocery stores to make sure they are not serving or selling onions from Thomson International Inc., or fresh foods prepared with them,” the CDC recommends. “If they don’t know where their onions are from, don’t buy the product. People sickened in this outbreak reported eating raw onions in freshly prepared foods, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, salsas, and dips.”
The onions were sold under the store brands of Kroger and Food Lion supermarket chains and these brands: Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competidor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh and Utah Onions.
They were sold in mesh sacks of 2, 3, 5, 10, 25 and 50 pounds and cartons of 5, 10, 25, 40 and 50 pounds.
So far in this outbreak, 59 people (16.4%) in the United States and 16 people (14%) in Canada have been hospitalized.
Salmonella usually brings stomachaches, fever and diarrhea for four to seven days. Of the 1.3 million in the United States who get salmonella yearly, about 26,500 (2%) wind up in the hospital from bloody diarrhea. Salmonella kills 420 people annually.
In you know your onions are from one of the recalled brands or you just can’t confirm they didn’t come from Thomson International, you’re advised to toss them out and disinfect any countertops, cookware, drawers or any other surfaces they touched.
Those with recall questions should call Thomson’s Kim Earnshaw at 661-845-1111.
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