US: Throw Away Your Onions, They're Being Recalled Over Salmonella

It Started With Red Onions, But Now The Recall

Has Expanded Quite A Bit

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By Dustin Nelson

Updated on 8/14/2020

The FDA says you probably need to chuck your onions in the bin. A recall of the delicious tear-inducing vegetable is happening over a "multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections."

The FDA has tracked the outbreak back to Thomson International, Inc. in California, but if you're like me, the onions in your kitchen don't have a label on them. In that case, the FDA says you should throw them out. "If you cannot tell if your onion is part of the recall, or your food product contains recalled onions, you should not eat, sell, or serve it, and should throw it out," the FDA says in its announcement. 

Anything from Thomson shipped since May 1, 2020, is part of the recall. 

The initial recall was on red onions, which are believed to be the source of the problem. However, the recall has expanded to include red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions due to the potential for cross-contamination. Currently, the CDC is reporting cases of Salmonella in 34 states with 396 reported illnesses and 59 hospitalizations. The name of the company may not be familiar, but the products have been distributed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, where there is also a recall. The US recall started on August 1, a day after the Public Health Agency of Canada issued a recall on red onions from Thomson International."

The onions were distributed... under the brand names Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions, and Food Lion," the recall states. You can find a list of label images in the FDA recall.

There are a whole lot of varieties of the recalled packaging, with some having been sold at Kroger and Walmart locations. 

The FDA and CDC ask that anyone experiencing symptoms contact their health care provider immediately. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. If it gets more severe, symptoms may also include a fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rash, and blood in urine or stool, the FDA says.

So, check the kitchen and don't risk it.

Lead photo: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM