Keeler Family Farms of Deming, NM, is recalling red, yellow, and white onions that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and have been connected to a 37-state outbreak of Salmonella infections.
This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, based on ProSource Produce LLC onions sourced in Chihuahua, Mexico, being connected to a Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak that has infected more than 650 people.
The implicated ProSource recalled onions were distributed to wholesalers, restaurants, and retail stores in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Recalled Products:
- The Keeler Family Farms onions were distributed in 25lb/50lb mesh sacks. They contain a label that is marked as MVP (product of MX), but were processed at Keeler Family Farms.
- The last to ship was on Aug. 25, 2021.
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve red, white, yellow, or onions from Keeler Family Farms or products containing such onions. If you cannot tell if your onion is from Keeler Family Farm’s, or your food product contains such onions, you should not eat, sell, or serve it, and should throw it out.
As of now, no specific root source of contamination or individual contaminated shipment has been identified.
About Salmonella infections
Food that is contaminated with Salmonella bacteria usually does not look, smell or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection, but infants, children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients need to be hospitalized.
Older adults, children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.
It is possible for some people to be infected with the bacteria and to not get sick or show any symptoms, but to still be able to spread the infection to others.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)