Danville Residents Should Check Onions Amid Salmonella Outbreak

DANVILLE, CA — Californians, including residents of Danville, should check their produce after a multistate salmonella outbreak was linked to onions and several products containing onions.

On Aug. 1, Thomson International Inc. of Bakersfield, California, voluntarily recalled red, yellow, white and sweet yellow onions for possible salmonella contamination. The affected produce was shipped between May 1 and present day.

Seventy-six Californians reported illnesses linked to the contaminated onions as of Friday, the most recent day for which information is readily available.

Nationwide, 640 people in 43 states have been affected. At least 85 people were hospitalized, according to the CDC.

Some of the onions were sold at stores including Trader Joe's, Walmart, Kroger and Ralph's, the CDC said.

Onions were sold under a variety of brand names including Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions and Food Lion, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

See complete lists of recalled products here and here. Check the recall notice to see UPCs and pictures of the products.

On Aug. 5, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for products made with the recalled onions. Several companies including Taylor Farms and Giant Eagle also recalled products made with the onions, including chicken salad, macaroni salad, fajita stir fry, pizza and diced raw onions.

See a complete list of products made with the recalled onions.

The CDC said people should check their homes for the recalled products and throw away the affected items.

"Do not eat them or try to cook the onions or other food to make it safe," the CDC said.

Signs of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps between six hours and six days after exposure to the bacteria. Those under age 5, those over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience severe illness.

In some cases, the infection can spread from the intestines to other parts of the body and require hospitalization.

The CDC encourages anyone with symptoms of salmonella poisoning to contact a doctor, write down what they ate the week before they became sick, report the illness to the health department and communicate with health investigators about their illness.

The FDA has initiated an investigation into Thomson International to learn more about the outbreak and will release more information as it becomes available.