Salmonella scare leads to removal of tomatoes

By HOLLY SCHOENSTEIN

The FDA has urged grocers to take precautions.

YOUNGSTOWN — Some local grocers have removed certain varieties of tomatoes from their stores’ shelves after a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.

Although no cases of infection have been reported in Ohio, the Food and Drug Administration has urged grocers to take precautions.

Michael Rulli, general manager of Rulli Brothers grocery stores in Austintown and Boardman, said the they are “very, very stringent on safety and tracking where products come from.”

He said when he found out about the salmonella outbreak, all of the tomatoes were removed until more information was known.

Rulli Brothers gets most of its tomatoes from Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina — none of which are believed to be the origin of the contaminated tomatoes and tomato products. Rulli said he believed most grocery stores in the Youngstown area are getting their tomatoes from the same states.

Rulli Brothers stores are offering a no-questions-asked return policy for customers who are concerned about salmonella. He also advises customers to ask grocers or restaurants where the tomatoes they want to buy or eat were grown, and if the outbreak becomes serious in the Youngstown area, the FDA will recall all the tomatoes.

Larger grocery chains are also taking precautionary measures. When Tony First, manager of American Farms Produce in Youngstown, learned of the FDA’s suggestion to remove certain varieties of tomatoes from stores the last week in April, he complied. American Farms Produce supplies produce to four IGA and 16 Save-A-Lot stores in the Youngstown area.

Similarly, Giant Eagle has removed green, yellow, Roma and organic tomatoes from store shelves.

“This voluntary removal is precautionary and at this time we have no reason to believe any tomatoes from Giant Eagle are involved in the recall,” said Kimberly Pupillo, a spokeswoman for Giant Eagle, which has 223 stores throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

The Associated Press reported that McDonald’s stopped selling sliced tomatoes Monday because of the outbreak. It will continue to sell grape tomatoes in salads. Taco Bell Corp. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. also have halted serving tomatoes, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The FDA has counted 145 reported cases of Salmonella Saintpaul, a strain that is uncommon, and 23 hospitalizations.

The bacteria causes fever, nausea,abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody) and vomiting, and is especially dangerous to young children, those who are elderly or frail and those who have weakened immune systems.

Cases of salmonella contracted from tomatoes have been reported in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

hschoenstein@vindy.com