June 10, 2008
By Dennis O'Brien | Sun reporter
The Baltimore Sun
Supermarkets and restaurants across Maryland are removing tomatoes from their shelves and menus after federal health officials warned of a widening outbreak of salmonella caused by some varieties of the fruit.
Tomatoes have sickened more than 140 people nationwide, and 23 have been hospitalized, since mid-April, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Photo: Consumers should avoid raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes, but may continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes and tomatoes with vines still attached, the FDA said. (Getty Images / June 9, 2008)
Consumers should avoid raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes, but may continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes and tomatoes with vines still attached, the FDA said. McDonald's announced yesterday that it has stopped putting tomato slices on its sandwiches but will still include grape tomatoes in its salads because the FDA considers them safe.
Salmonella is spread by bacteria that seep into the plant from the soil or from tainted water. Infections can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, with symptoms appearing 12 hours to three days after infection. Symptoms can last four to seven days, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Washing a tomato can prevent salmonella, unless the bacterium has already penetrated the plant skin, usually through a crack or an opening near the stem.
Young children, frail and elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable. "It can be a very serious disease," said Lola Russell, a CDC spokeswoman.
No outbreak-related cases of salmonella have been reported in Maryland, health officials said. "At this stage, we have no evidence to believe any tomatoes in this state are implicated whatsoever," said Alan Brench, chief of food control for the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Supermarket chains, including Giant Foods, have pulled raw red plum, red Roma and round tomatoes from their shelves and customers may return tomatoes they have already purchased for refunds, said Jamie Miller, a spokesman for the Landover-based company.
Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes on the vine will remain available, he said.
The FDA published a list last week of states and countries ruled out as possible sources for the outbreak. The areas include California, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico. Plum, Roma and red round tomatoes from those areas are safe to eat, according to the FDA.
Pinpointing the source of the outbreak could take a week or more, and in the meantime, customers should ask whether the tomatoes being sold in stores and restaurants are from the states and countries deemed safe by the FDA, Brench said.
The FDA initially issued a warning to restaurants in New Mexico and Texas on June 3, but it broadened its advisory Sunday after illnesses were rep1orted in 16 states. Illnesses have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The widening scope of the outbreak prompted several outlets to pull tomatoes from their menus, along with the salsas, guacamole, salads and fillings for tortillas made from them.
But many outlets plan to continue selling varieties considered safe by the FDA.
"The safety and well-being of our customers is our number one priority," said Rich Jeffers, a spokesman for Darden Restaurants Inc, the Florida-based chain that owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse and other outlets.
He said the chain pulled tomatoes from its 1,700 restaurants nationwide yesterday. It removed tomatoes last week from outlets in Texas and New Mexico, where the outbreak started.
Denver-based Qdoba Mexican Grills will continue to use tomatoes, but supplies will vary from store to store because the company will use only tomatoes from areas the FDA deems safe, according company officials.
"Currently, in the Baltimore area, we are not selling any tomatoes," said Lisa McBeth, director of operations services.
Other fast-food chains, including Taco Bell Corp. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., have temporarily stopped offering products with fresh tomatoes.
On its Web site, Chipotle explained its decision and suggested that its customers try other salsas - including a less spicy corn salsa or one made from green or red tomatillos, a different plant from the tomato despite the similar name.
"A salsa is completely safe, we have suspended serving it in all of our restaurants as long as there remains any concern about the tomato supply in this country," the company said.
Here are other tips from food safety experts:
Check your tomatoes
The Food and Drug Administration is advising people even in unaffected states to eat only tomatoes not associated with the outbreak: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home. For other tomatoes, cut away the part that is attached to the plant and the button on the other side. That part can carry a food-borne illness because it's a hard area and organisms can attach themselves to it.
Wash produce
Wash produce, whether organic or not, with cold running water. Scrub them gently with your hands or with a vegetable brush. Remove outer layers of cabbage and lettuce.
Wash hands, surfaces
Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food. Wash your hands if you come in contact with pet feces, use the bathroom or change a baby's diaper. Also wash cutting boards, counters and utensils to avoid cross-contamination. Avoid any kind of contact with raw meat when preparing fresh vegetables. Refrigerate sliced-up fruits and vegetables.
Inquire at restaurants
Ketchup and cooked sauces are not affected by the outbreak. And several restaurants are not serving tomatoes -- on Monday, McDonald's and other chains said they had stopped serving sliced tomatoes in their U.S. restaurants.
Report the illness
Salmonella poisoning generally occurs hours after ingestion and involves symptoms such as abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The CDC says symptoms generally appear 12 to 72 hours after infection. People should report a suspected food-borne illness to the local health department.
-- The Associated Press
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