The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded a tomato recall in three states to its most severe warning due to a potential salmonella contamination.
Three weeks ago the agency announced a voluntary recall by Williams Farms Repack LLC of its tomatoes across Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Last week, the FDA upgraded the recall to Class 1, indicating a reasonable probability that the product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death”.
The tomatoes were distributed between 23 and 28 April. Although no illnesses have been reported, the FDA has urged consumers to either return the tomatoes for a full refund or discard them.
Salmonella, one of the world’s leading causes of food-borne illness, are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal issues and fever. The bacteria spreads when people eat raw or undercooked foods, and can be transmitted by food handlers who do not wash their hands properly, as well as the surfaces and tools they use in food preparation. It can spread from animals to people, with those most at risk including children younger than five, elderly people and those with immunocompromised systems.
Symptoms of salmonella – including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps – typically begin 12 to 72 hours after infection and last up to a week. Most people are able to recover without requiring treatment, but in some cases the illness can be fatal, with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating 450 salmonella-related deaths every year.
