Recall alert: Onion salmonella outbreak expands

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the outbreak surrounding onions has expanded.

So far there are 869 cases of salmonella contamination in 47 states with 116 hospitalizations, the CDC said.

The red, white, yellow and sweet yellow onions came from Thomson International Inc. and other companies, the Food and Drug Administration said. They were sold at Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Publix, Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s and Walmart. The onions may have been sold individually or incorporated into other foods like spreads, cheese dips, salsa and chicken salad.

The onions were sold in the following variations:

• 5 lbs. carton
• 10 lbs. carton
• 25 lbs. carton
• 40 lbs. carton
• 50 lbs. carton
• 2 lbs. mesh sack
• 3 lbs. mesh sack
• 5 lbs. mesh sack
• 10 lbs. mesh sack
• 25 lbs. mesh sack
• 50 lbs. mesh sack

Click here to see the full list of foods that were recalled related to the onion outbreak.

They were sold under the following brands, according to the FDA:

• Thomson Premium
• TLC Thomson International
• Tender Loving Care
• El Competitor
• Hartley’s Best
• Onions 52
• Majestic
• Imperial Fresh
• Kroger
• Utah Onions
• Food Lion

The onions were sold to wholesalers, restaurants and retail locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Canada.

The CDC said if you can’t tell where the onions came from, throw them away. If you used the recalled onions to make other dishes, throw that food away also. The CDC said to check with restaurants or when shopping for food to see if they are using the recalled onions to make the dishes you’re ordering. If the staff doesn’t know, then officials said don’t order the food or don’t buy the products.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps starting from six hours to six days after exposure. The illness can last from four to seven days and usually ends without treatment.

Cox Media Group