If you have any whole red, white, or yellow onions without a sticker or packaging in your cupboard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you should throw them out. A salmonella outbreak linked to imported onions has so far sickened more than 650 people, including at least 129 who were hospitalized.
The affected red, white and yellow onions were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, according to the CDC, and distributed by ProSource Inc., which is based in Hailey, Idaho. The onions were sold to restaurants and at grocery stores throughout the country.
ProSource Inc. indicated onions were last imported on August 27, but these imported onions can last up to three months in storage and may still be in homes and businesses.
According to USA Today, the outbreak was first reported in mid-September but the CDC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and local health officials had not identified a food linked to the illnesses.
What you should do
Do not buy or eat any whole fresh red, white, or yellow onions if they were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource Inc.
Throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions you have at home that do not have a sticker or packaging.
- These onions may have stickers or packaging indicating the brand (ProSource Inc.) and the country (Mexico) where they were grown.
- If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them.
- Wash surfaces and containers these onions may have touched using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
People should call their healthcare provider if they are showing any symptoms of Salmonella infection, including diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F, and vomiting to the point it is difficult to keep anything down.
Some people – especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems – may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
