Smith's, Albertsons, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Subway and Taco Bell are among many companies big and small in Utah and elsewhere that have voluntarily withdrawn red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes - even as growers in California and several other states complained that their crops were being wrongly implicated.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the source of the infections that have widened to sicken 167 people, and now have claimed a life, in Texas.
Utah officials have reported a single case involving an individual who may have eaten a tomato in New Mexico, where the infections were first reported. On Tuesday, officials from the Utah Department of Health said they were investigating two additional cases and that testing was under way to determine if they were linked to the nationwide outbreak.
Both individuals had recently traveled outside Utah. "We have no evidence that people eating tomatoes in Utah have gotten sick from salmonella," said epidemiologist Marilee Poulson.
Tomatoes shipped to Utah come from a variety of sources, so residents should ask grocers where they came from. Although Utah is not on the government list of areas where grown tomatoes are deemed safe, state officials are working to get local tomatoes cleared, said Larry Lewis, spokesman for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and homegrown tomatoes are likely not the source of the outbreak, federal officials said.
In Mexico, which accounts for about a third of winter tomatoes in the United States, a tomato-growers' association says U.S. shipments have stopped as American authorities investigate the origin of the outbreak.
And in California, a group of tomato producers pressed to get the word out that all tomato varieties produced in the state, including round, red and Roma tomatoes, are not the cause of a recent outbreak of salmonella.
Florida Agriculture Department spokeswoman Liz Compton said Tuesday that the voluntary recalls have done a lot of economic damage to growers, grocers and restaurateurs, even as she emphasized the tomatoes in the state are safe to eat. Federal officials, however, have not included Florida as a safe area. Florida supplies the bulk of winter tomatoes for the East Coast.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that since mid-April, patients infected with salmonella had the same ''genetic fingerprint.'' At least 23 people have been hospitalized.
A 67-year-old cancer patient in Texas who health officials said was sickened by salmonella at a Mexican restaurant is believed to be the first death associated with the outbreak.
Salmonella, a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, can be transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.
* Tomato varieties that include cherry, grape and those sold with the vine attached or grown at home are safe to eat.
* Canned whole or diced tomatoes can be used as an alternative.
* Do not eat raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes unless you know they were grown in areas deemed to be safe - Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands and Puerto Rico.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
BUYING:
* Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
* Fresh-cut items should be refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
* Bag separately from meat, poultry or seafood products.
STORAGE:
* Certain perishable produce, such as strawberries, lettuce, herbs and mushrooms, are best maintained by storing in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. If unsure, ask your grocer.
* Keep all pre-cut or peeled produce refrigerated.
PREPARATION:
* Cut away any damaged or bruised areas. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.
* All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating.
* Wash produce, even if you plan to peel it before eating.
* Washing with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.
* Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
* Drying produce with a clean cloth or paper towel can further reduce bacteria.
