Salmonella Outbreak

There were four large outbreaks of Salmonella infections in the United States during 2007, including cases associated with Peter Pan peanut butter, pet food, Veggie Booty snacks, and contaminated ConAgra Foods pot pies.

In April and May 2008, 28 people got sick with Salmonella that was linked to Malt-O-Meal products and we now have another Salmonella outbreak in New Mexico and Texas that has already sickened 57 people. According to the FDA, this latest outbreak is thought to be linked to "certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes."

At this time, people in New Mexico and Texas should avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes and any products, such as sandwiches or salads, that contain these tomatoes. Since young children are often most at risk from serious Salmonella infections, parents should especially try to avoid feeding these tomatoes to their kids. Instead, they should only eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes that they have grown in their own garden.

If your child has recently eaten tomatoes in or from New Mexico or Texas, you should be on the watch for Salmonella symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.

Related:
FDA Tomato Warning
E. Coli Symptoms
Diarrhea
Pet Turtles and Salmonella