An Aug. 3 notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that the FDA, “along with CDC and state and local partners, is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections.”
This effort includes collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada. That country has also experienced an outbreak of Salmonella Newport illnesses that “have a genetic fingerprint closely related to the U.S. outbreak.”
“On July 30, 2020, Canadian health officials announced that they had determined red onions from the U.S. to be the potential source of the Canadian outbreak,” the FDA update said. “The Canadian investigation has also prompted a recall warning by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”
Combined resources indicated Thomson International, Inc. “as a likely source of contaminated red onions in the U.S.,” and on Aug. 1 Thomson International Inc. voluntarily recalled all varieties of onions that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated red onions, due to the risk of cross-contamination.
The recalled products include red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions shipped from May 1, 2020 to present to wholesale, foodservice and retail receivers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada in packs cartons and consumer sacks.
The FDA reported 306 cases, with 59 hospitalizations and no deaths from July 12 to present. For more information, go to https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-newport-red-onions-july-2020.
