Tomato-Related Salmonella Outbreak
According to a story in The Produce News, federal health officials are investigating a tomato-related Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 100 people in 19 states.
Ninety-eight people in 19 states located mainly in the eastern portion of the United States have been infected with Salmonella newport, said CDC. Cases from this outbreak surfaced in June and ended Oct. 20, leading federal health officials to focus on tomatoes eaten in restaurants and served in most cases during the early fall months.
While the outbreak appears over, health officials are continuing surveillance and FDA is conducting a traceback of tomato suppliers to discover the cause. FDA was already tracing tomatoes involved in another outbreak involving 183 people in 21 states. Federal authorities said that fresh tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium served in restaurants were the likely cause of that outbreak.
Salmonella can enter tomato plants through roots or flowers and can enter the fruit through small cracks, according to CDC. It is still unknown whether Salmonella can travel from roots to the fruits or if seeds can contaminate generations of tomato plants.
Salmonella newport has been linked to other outbreaks in the past. More than 500 people became sick during August and September 2002 after eating tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella newport, and investigators traced back the tomatoes to a tomato packing facility in the mid-Atlantic region. Inspections of that packing facility revealed numerous violations of Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices, said FDA.
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Source: Joan Murphy, FDA investigates second Salmonella outbreak tied to tomatoes, The Produce News, November 28, 2006.
