CDC and FDA update Recall Notice of Salmonella Tainted Onions that have sickened 839

Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc., or food made with these onions. Onion types include red, white, yellow, and sweet yellow varieties. Other companies have also recalled food made with recalled onions, such as cheese dip and chicken salads.

• At home, check your refrigerator and kitchen for recalled onions or foods made with them, such as salads, wraps, tacos, sandwiches, etc.
  • Check the package of raw onions or look for a sticker on the onion to see if it is from Thomson International, Inc., or one of the brand names below. If it is, don’t eat it. Throw it away.
    • Other brand names that may be on labels include: Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions, and Food Lion.
    • See the recall notice to check for further details and pictures of the products.
  • Some foods made with recalled onions, such as deli salads and vegetable mixes, have also been recalled, and additional recalls of raw onions sold at Giant Eagle, Publix, and Trader Joe’s, have occurred. Check your homes for the recalled products listed below.
  • If you can’t tell where your onions are from, don’t eat them. Throw them away.
  • If you used onions to make any other food and don’t know where the onions were from, don’t eat the food. Throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one got sick.
  • Wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with onions or their packaging, such as countertops, storage bins, refrigerator drawers, knives, and cutting boards.
• When you order food from a restaurant or shop for food, check with the restaurant or grocery store to make sure they are not serving or selling recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc., or any foods prepared with recalled onions, including foods such as salads, sandwiches, tacos, salsas, and dips.
  • If they don’t know where their onions are from, don’t buy the product.
  • People sickened in this outbreak reported eating onions in freshly prepared foods, including salads, sandwiches, tacos, salsas, and dips.

Advice to Restaurants, Retailers, and Suppliers

• Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc., or food prepared with these onions.
  • If you don’t know where your onions are from, don’t serve or sell them.
  • Clean and sanitize all surfaces that onions have come in contact with, including cutting boards, countertops, slicers, utensils, and storage bins.
• Suppliers, distributors, and others in the supply chain should not ship or sell recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc.
  • Suppliers and distributors that repackage raw onions should clean and sanitize any surfaces and storage bins that may have come in contact with recalled onions.

Recalls

Additional recalls related to this outbreak may occur. Please refer to the FSIS and FDA websites for the latest recall information.

• On August 12, cheese dips were recalled from the following stores: Kroger, Kroger Mid-Atlantic, Kroger Delta Division, Fry’s Food Stores, Fred Meyer, and Smith’s.
• On August 10, Progressive Produce LLC recalled red onions sold at Trader Joe’s stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah as well as yellow onions sold in Ralph’s stores in California.
• On August 10, Spokane Produce Inc. recalled salsas that were made from recalled onions.
• On August 5, Taylor Farms issued a recall of foods that were made from recalled onions.
• On August 5, Publix recalled onions sold in bulk at stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
• On August 5, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) issued a public health alert for products made with recalled onions. Check the alert for product details and pictures. USDA-FSIS will update the public health alert as more information becomes available.
• On August 1, Giant Eagle recalled onions and foods made with recalled onions sold in stores across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland.
• On August 1, 2020, Thomson International, Inc., voluntarily recalled red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Onions were distributed to wholesalers, restaurants, and retail stores in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
  • Onions were distributed in bulk cartons and mesh sacks ranging from 2 to 50 pounds under these brand names: Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions, and Food Lion.
  • See the recall notice to check for universal product codes (UPC) and pictures of the products.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.