Print
Jun 23, 2008 11:06 am US/Eastern
Which Tomatoes Are Safe To Eat?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
-
-
Red Plum/Red Roma tomatoes implicated in outbreak
FDA
-
-
Round red tomato implicated
in outbreak
FDA
Salmonella infections linked to eating tomatoes have spread to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The outbreak has many people asking which kinds of tomatoes are safe to eat, and which ones aren't.
According to the FDA, the salmonella outbreak has been linked to red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes (pictured below right).
Do Not Eat:
Red Plum, raw
Red Roma, raw
Round Red, rawMore than 550 infections have been reported nationwide, including patients in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and homegrown tomatoes are likely NOT the source of the outbreak, federal officials said.
The FDA is advising consumers to stick to the following types of tomatoes, which are not linked to the outbreak.
Safe To Eat:
Cherry tomatoes
Grape tomatoes
Tomatoes sold with the vine still attached
Tomatoes grown at home
Consumers who buy their produce from farmer's markets or farm stands should ask the retailers where the tomatoes came from because some stands get their tomatoes from sources other than local farms, the FDA said.
Consumers are urged to avoid tomatoes that look damaged, for example, if the skin of the tomato is broken.
Central and southern Florida and parts of Mexico are being investigated as the possible start of the outbreak because they supplied the vast majority of tomatoes sold when the outbreak began in April.
Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacteria are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.
Most infected people suffer fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps starting 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness tends to last four to seven days.
According to the FDA, the salmonella causing the outbreak is a very unusual type called salmonella saintpaul.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
