If you have onions in your pantry, listen up. Earlier this week, the FDA announced a recall for red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella. According to the federal agency, the affected onions were produced by Thomson International, Inc. After conducting an investigation, the FDA believes the multi-state salmonella outbreak can be traced back to Thomson, a California company.

FDA Logo; image courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org

How often do you remember seeing labels on your onions, though? In the absence of labels and out of an abundance of caution, the FDA is instructing consumers to toss their onions. In a statement, the agency said, “If you cannot tell if your onion is part of the recall, or your food product contains recalled onions, you should not eat, sell, or serve it, and should throw it out.” The recall further states:“The onions were distributed... under the brand names Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions, and Food Lion”At the moment, the recall includes onions shipped from Thomson since May 1, 2020. So far, the outbreak has hit 34 states. According to the CDC, the outbreak has resulted in 396 reported illnesses and 59 hospitalizations. If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of salmonella infection, contact your healthcare provider. Symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, body aches, headaches, and lethargy, to name a few.

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Throw Away Your Onions, They're Being Recalled Over SalmonellaOnions recalled in all 50 states after Salmonella sickens 500