Salmonellosis Outbreak from Certain Tomatoes
Questions & Answers for Consumers and Industry

Consumer Information and Advice

• What states have confirmed cases of Salmonella illness linked to this outbreak?
• How many people have become ill in this outbreak?
• What kind of illness does Salmonella cause?
• What is Salmonella?
• What kinds of raw tomatoes should be avoided during this outbreak?
• What kinds of raw tomatoes should consumers continue to buy during this outbreak?
• What states or countries have been ruled out as the source of this outbreak?
• How can consumers tell where a tomato was grown, harvested, or packed?
• Will washing the tomatoes implicated in this outbreak make them safe to eat?
• Will peeling the tomatoes implicated in this outbreak make them safe to eat?
• Can cooking tomatoes eliminate Salmonella?
• Are canned tomatoes and processed foods containing tomatoes safe for consumers during this outbreak?
• Are tomatoes from farmers' markets included in this outbreak?
• During this outbreak, is it safer to eat locally grown tomatoes?
• What steps are being taken to prevent future illness from this outbreak?
• How should consumers handle raw tomatoes NOT implicated in this outbreak?
• Where can consumers find out more about how to keep from becoming sick from tomatoes?

Advice for Food-Service Providers, Restaurateurs, and Retailers

• What is FDA's advice to retailers, restaurateurs, and food service providers?
• What kinds of tomatoes may be offered to customers?
• What safe-handling practices should be followed for tomatoes?
• Should food-service providers, restaurateurs, and retailers cook the tomatoes associated with the outbreak to eliminate Salmonella?
• Should food-service providers, restaurateurs, and retailers try to remove Salmonella by washing the tomatoes associated with the outbreak?

About Outbreaks

• What is an outbreak?
• When did the illnesses associated with the current outbreak start?
• How is the cause or source of a Salmonella outbreak determined?
• What is the FDA doing to identify the source of this outbreak?
• Why is it taking FDA so long to determine the source of this Salmonella outbreak?
• From farm to table, where in the process are tomatoes most likely to become contaminated? What are the most likely sources of contamination?
• Have there been other outbreaks from contaminated tomatoes, before this one?

Government Activities Related to Produce Safety

• What steps has the FDA taken to reduce the potential for Salmonella outbreaks from tomatoes?
• Does the FDA sample and test domestic and foreign tomatoes?
• On the list of areas not associated with this outbreak, there are special notations for the state of Baja California, Mexico, and certain counties in Florida. How is FDA guaranteeing consumers that tomatoes are from those areas?
• Has the FDA conducted outreach/education activities regarding tomato safety?
• What is the FDA's Food Protection Plan?