An undisclosed amount of onions has caused an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg in 37 states as of Oct. 18. The onions were voluntarily recalled in a notice posted on Oct. 14 by the Food and Drug Administration. ProSource Produce claimed the onions that are potentially contaminated with salmonella are whole raw onions (red, white, and yellow).
A day after the recall was announced, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced which onions are linked to the outbreak. The contaminated onions were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource, which is based in Hailey, Idaho.
How Many Infected And Where
The CDC said in a food safety alert last Thursday that 652 people have been infected with Salmonella. This statistic is from the 37 states affected. The number of cases is expected to rise as more illnesses are reported. According to the FDA on Wednesday, ProSource had agreed to recall the affected onions that were shipped from Mexico between early July and late August.
ProSource said in the recall that the onions were “distributed to wholesalers, broad-line foodservice customers, and retail stores in mesh sacks ranging from 2 to 50 pounds and cartons ranging from 5 to 50 pounds. The onions were distributed by the following distributors and/or under the following brands: Big Bull, Peak Fresh Produce, Sierra Madre, Markon First Crop., Markon Essentials, Rio Blue, ProSource, Rio Valley, and Sysco Imperial.”
A list of retailers who sold the onions is not included in the recall, but the recall says the onions were distributed in 37 states. According to the CDC, Texas has the most cases in the ongoing outbreak with 158, followed by Oklahoma with 98 cases. Virginia has 59 cases, Maryland 58, Illinois 37, Wisconsin 25, Minnesota 23, and Missouri has 21 cases.
What You Should Do
According to the CDC, do not buy or eat any whole fresh red, white, or yellow onions if they were imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource Produce LLC or Keeler Family Farms. Throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions you have at home that do not have a sticker or packaging. If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them. Also, wash surfaces and containers these onions may have touched using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
ProSource said consumers who have purchased onions that originated in Chihuahua are “urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or throw them out.” The contact for this company is 208-928-4959 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
