Onions Recalled Because of Salmonella Link

Onion producer Thomson International Inc is recalling all of its onions from all 50 states because of its link to a Salmonella Newport outbreak. The outbreak has sickened more than 500 people in the United States and Canada, and the recall follows a similar recall in Canada. Food Safety News reports the first illness began on July 12, but health officials expect more to be identified because of the lag time between illness onset and the confirmation required for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add a patient to its tally. Initially, it was thought that only red onions were implicated in the Salmonella Newport outbreak, but because of cross-contamination issues, all onions, including yellow, white and sweet are being recalled in both countries. Many of the onions are packaged for foodservice use and have been used in multi-ingredient foods so it is difficult for consumers to know whether the onions in such foods are part of the recall.