Front Row Produce of St. Louis, MO is recalling 10 oz. pint and 10 lb. bulk grape tomatoes supplied by Rio Queen Citrus of Mission, TX because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.  The tomatoes were distributed throughout Missouri and Illinois to food service distributors and retail stores.

The contamination was noted after random testing by Rio Queen Citrus revealed the presence of Salmonella in some 20 lb. bulk containers. Production of the tomatoes has been suspended while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the company continue their investigation into the source of the problem.

No illnesses have been reported.

The recalled tomatoes for retail sale are in a 10-ounce, clear plastic package with a Front Row Produce “Grape Tomatoes” label on the top.  Currently, the lot number does not appear on the clear plastic package but does appear on the case label.  The lot numbers on the cases containing the recalled 10 oz. packages are 2310802, 2310405 or 2510401.   The 10 lb bulk grape tomatoes are packaged for wholesale in a plain brown cardboard box labeled only with lot # 2310801.

As of Thursday (Dec. 1), all shipments of Front Row Produce Grape Tomatoes packaged in clear 10-oz. plastic packages for retail sales will have a green lot number sticker on the bottom side.  The 7-digit lot number will aid in identifying specific shipments.  Any packages that do not contain this green sticker should be considered suspect and under recall.

Consumers are urged to discard the recalled tomatoes.  For more information contact Front Row Produce at  314-241-4700, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Saturday and  Sunday from 7 a.m. to noon.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.