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People in about 30 states, including Florida, Georgia, and New York, have fallen ill after eating bacteria-laced tomatoes. The contaminated produce includes raw tomatoes of the red plum, red Roma, and round red varieties. People can also get sick by eating products containing these types of raw tomato.
Since mid–April, there have been more than 600 reported cases of salmonella–related illnesses linked to tomato consumption. At least 69 cases resulted in hospitalizations, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“As long as we are continuing to see new cases come on board, it is a concern that there are still contaminated tomatoes out there,” says the administration’s food safety chief, David Acheson.
The FDA is trying to track down the source of the bad tomatoes and learn how the fruit became contaminated in the first place. Temperature change may be one cause of the outbreak. If a tomato is picked in the hot sun and plunged into cold water, water can seep in through the tomato’s stem. Salmonella on the tomato’s skin might also get absorbed.
Experts believe the contaminated tomatoes originated in farms in Florida and Mexico. However, tracing a tomato’s origins is tricky. Unlike many foods, tomatoes don’t come with bar codes or price tags to help investigators track the suppliers.
To make fresh produce more traceable in case of an outbreak, the Produce Marketing Association earlier this year began urging growers and suppliers to put codes on the boxes the food is shipped in. Thanks to a newly passed law, produce will also start bearing labels that identify the foods’ country of origin. The law goes into effect later this year.
In the meantime, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home are not linked to the outbreak and can be eaten. Some restaurants, such as Wendy’s, are starting to reintroduce unaffected tomatoes to their menus.
However, the FDA warns, if consumers are unsure where their tomatoes came from, they should not eat them. “If you don’t know, don’t take the risk,” says Acheson.
Critical Thinking
Why might it be important to know where your food comes from?
What have you learned about the tomato salmonella outbreak from this story? Test your Tomato I.Q. with our quiz to find out!
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