Health officials have now issued a recall alert for cheese dips and other products that contain onions.
A salmonella outbreak linked to onions is now affecting products that were made with those onions. People in 47 states have reported sickness as the contamination spreads via popular cheese dips and other products.
On August 1, onions supplied by Thomson International, Inc. were voluntarily removed from the identified stores where they had been supplied. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also initiated an investigation to understand the source of contamination in Thomson International.
Now, the FDA says the affected onions might have been used in food products like cheese dips, salsa, salads, and other ready-made meals. People are advised not to consume any products made with the recalled onions from Thomson International Inc. of Bakersfield, California, and from grocery stores, including Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Publix, Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart.
On Tuesday, August 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the number of reported salmonella cases had grown to 869, with 116 hospitalizations in 47 states. Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Vermont have not reported any cases yet. Also, no deaths from the illness has been reported.
To see which products were affected, find the full list of recalled products on the CDC website, the FDA website, and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website. The list will be updated according to the development of cases and the ongoing investigation.
Symptoms of Infection
The salmonella bacteria can cause severe, even fatal, infections in pregnant women, young kids, elderly, and immunocompromised people. A healthy person exposed to the bacteria may experience fever, bloody diarrhea (in severe cases), abdominal pain, and vomiting. Symptoms may occur between 6 hours and 6 days of exposure. The infection can continue for 5-7 days, and most people recover without any treatment. Read here for more details and when to call the doctor.
Advice for Consumers, Restaurants, Suppliers
- No eating, selling, or distribution of any onions and affected products from Thomson International and other mentioned brands.
- If the source of onions or the food products is unknown, discard it.
- Disinfect and sanitize any surface that comes in contact with the products.
- While ordering food from a restaurant or buying grocery check with the stores to make sure none of the recalled products are on sale or used to prepare food. Do not purchase if the restaurant is unaware of the products.
- Any cross-contaminated products, while shipping and selling, should be discarded by sellers, and surfaces in contact should be sanitized promptly.
Do you have any of these recalled products in your pantry? Tell us in the comments!
