The Food and Drug Administration recalled deadly tomatoes in three Southern states early last month. However, the agency has now classified the alert as Class I, the highest level of contamination.
Where did the affected tomatoes come from?
The FDA announced the first of two tomato recalls on May 2 for potential salmonella contamination. Williams Farms Repack LLC, based in Lodge, South Carolina, said the affected tomatoes were packaged and sold under the H&C Farms label to wholesalers and distributors between April 23 and 28, according to a news release and USA Today.
Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are the three states in which the companies distributed the recalled produce items.
Consumers were advised not to eat the tomatoes and to either return them to the place of purchase for a refund or dispose of the product.
What is the Class I classification?
On May 28, the FDA upgraded the recall to Class I, the most severe of the three levels of contamination, which can lead to serious health problems, according to USA Today.
According to the agency, Class I “is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
A second tomato recall has affected several states
The second tomato recall was also announced in early May by Ray & Mascari Inc. over possible salmonella exposure. The FDA had upgraded the classification level to Class I by May 13, per a news release and 8 News Now.
The recalled tomatoes were distributed to the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
What is salmonella?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, salmonella, or salmonellosis, is the most common bacterial food poisoning in the U.S., causing diarrhea and stomach pain. The term differs from other illnesses caused by different types of salmonella, such as typhoid fever.
While anyone can contract salmonella, certain groups are at a higher risk of infection or serious illness.
The risk increases for people who live or work around certain animals, take antacids or antibiotics, have inflammatory bowel disease, or are under age 5.
Serious illness is more likely in infants under 12 months, adults over 65, those with weakened immune systems, or individuals with sickle cell disease.
