FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P06-181
November 3, 2006
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FDA Notifies Consumers that Tomatoes in Restaurants Linked to
Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak
Current Information Suggests Outbreak is Not Ongoing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the results of
an investigation by state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
investigators, which found consuming tomatoes in restaurants as the cause of
illnesses in the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak. To date, 21
states have reported 183 cases of illnesses to the CDC.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young
children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy
persons often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting,
and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection can result in the
organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses.
Based on information currently available from the CDC, the investigation shows
a peak in cases of illness in late September. This suggests that the
outbreak is not ongoing. The agency believes that the tomatoes that caused
the illnesses have at this point been consumed, destroyed or thrown out because
they are perishable. Therefore, FDA does not believe a consumer warning
about tomatoes on store shelves is warranted at this time.
FDA has initiated a traceback of these tomatoes and continues its close collaboration
with the CDC and state and local authorities to identify the source of contamination
on tomatoes in this outbreak. In particular, FDA is working closely with
the states of Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, since groups of illnesses
were specifically reported in these states.
Investigations of foodborne illness usually begin at the local health department
level. A variety of scientific and technological methods to trace the source
of reported illnesses are used. Modern technologies, such as PulseNet (the
network of public health laboratories that performs "DNA fingerprinting"),
have greatly improved the speed and precision of these types of investigations.
In light of recent outbreaks, FDA continues to emphasize consumer advice to
reduce the risk of foodborne illness, including Salmonella-related illness,
from fresh produce:
Buying Tips for Fresh Produce
- Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
- When selecting fresh cut produce - such as a half a watermelon or bagged
mixed salad greens - choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded
by ice.
- Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood products
when packing them to take home from the market.
Storage Tips for Fresh Produce
- Certain perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce,
herbs, and mushrooms) can be best maintained by
storing in a clean refrigerator at a temperature
of 40° F or below. If you're not sure whether an item should be refrigerated
to maintain quality, ask your grocer.
- All produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled should be refrigerated
within two hours to maintain
both quality and safety.
- Keep your refrigerator set at 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator
thermometer to check!
Preparation Tips for Fresh Produce
- Many pre-cut, bagged produce items like lettuce are pre-washed. If so,
it will be stated on the packaging. This pre-washed, bagged produce
can be used without further washing.
- As an extra measure of caution, you can wash the produce again just before you
use it. Precut or prewashed produce in open bags should be washed before
using.
- Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and
soap before and after preparing fresh produce.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing
and/or eating. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.
- All unpackaged fruits and vegetables, as well as those packaged and not marked
pre-washed, should be thoroughly washed before eating. This includes
produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or produce that
is purchased from a grocery store or farmer's market. Wash fruits and vegetables
under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.
- Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important
to wash it first.
- Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce
washes is not recommended.
- Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
- Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria
that may be present.
Separate for Safety
Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods,
such as raw meat, poultry or seafood - and from kitchen utensils used for
those products.
In addition, be sure to:
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot water and
soap between the preparation of raw meat, poultry and seafood products and the
preparation of produce that will not be cooked.
- For added protection, kitchen sanitizers can be used on cutting boards
and counter
tops periodically. Try a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to
one quart of water.
- If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through
the dishwasher
after use.
####
CDC
Information on Salmonella Outbreak
www.fightbac.org
FDA Press Release (Nov. 2, 2006)
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