Vine-ripe tomatoes recalled due to salmonella risk: Do not consume

A company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is recalling its “4-Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes” packaged in clamshell containers because of the potential that the items have been contaminated with salmonella. Ray & Mascari Inc.announced the product recall. The company’s announcement appears on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website.The recalled tomatoes were sold by Gordon Food Service Stores in 11 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin, the site says.Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, as well as others with weakened immune systems, the recall notice points out.“Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain,” the notice says. “In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.”In the company announcement, Ray & Mascari Inc.

said it was notified by Hanshaw & Capling Farms of Immokalee, Florida, that it was recalling the lot of tomatoes that Ray & Mascari Inc.received and repacked into the 4-count vine-ripe tomatoes. Hanshaw & Capling Farms said it “initiated the recall due to the possible presence of salmonella in their facility.”The notice adds that “customers who received the recalled lots have been notified and provided information to further contact their customers and distribution centers with recall instructions.”This product is sold in plastic clamshell packaging that contains four tomatoes, according to the announcement. “The 4-count plastic clamshells have a ‘VINE RIPE TOMATOES’ label containing a ‘Packed by Ray & Mascari Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46204’ [notice],” the announcem...