I was just scrolling through the news, and suddenly — boom — the FDA elevated a tomato recall to a Class I alert, which is their top warning. That’s the one where there’s a genuine risk that eating the product will lead to serious health consequences or even death. Yikes.
This is not a generic tomato recall. The recall first happened in May, but now it’s elevated to the highest risk level. Why? Salmonella contamination.
Where are those tomatoes coming from?
The origin is Williams Farms Repack, LLC, and these tomatoes didn’t stay in one place. They were distributed across three southern states:
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Now I’m wondering — did I eat any tomatoes recently from these areas?
What tomato products are we talking about?
Not just one specific type of packaging, either. The recall affects different sizes and types of shipments, including:
- 3-count packages
- 10-pound containers
- 25-pound containers
- 60-count 2-layer containers
So yes, whether it was an order of a few pieces from a local grocery store or a restaurant stock, this recall may be affecting a whole lot more tomatoes than I originally thought.
What do I do if I have these tomatoes?
The FDA is clear:
- Don’t eat them. Period.
If I bought these, I should either:
Return them to the store where I bought them so that they can provide me with a full refund, or
Discard them completely
No “but I washed them really, really well” exceptions here — salmonella is not something I want to play with.
Why is Salmonella such a big deal?
I used to think salmonella was a yucky stomach virus, but it turns out it’s far worse for certain groups of people. According to the FDA and CDC:
Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk
Symptoms may be:
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
And the symptoms generally start 6 hours to 6 days from the ingestion of contaminated food.
Most people do get over it in a week without any treatment, but in high-risk individuals, it can be severe enough to require hospitalization.
Honestly, I’m going to check my fridge and pantry. If I’ve got tomatoes and I’m not sure where they came from, I’m not taking any chances. Better safe than sick.
This isn’t just another random food recall — this is the kind of alert the FDA only issues when they believe something could do real harm. And if it means avoiding salmonella (or worse), I’ll gladly give up tomatoes for a bit.
Read this later:
Coca-Cola voluntarily recalling product over possible bacterial contamination
