Salmonella has touched down in 22 states across the country.
The culprit? Packages of Gills Onions.
So far, there have been over 70 cases of salmonella traced back to the onions, with 15 people landing in the hospital as a result of the infection.
What to avoid
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working together to collect as much information as possible about this salmonella outbreak.
The agencies have identified five different products from Gills Onions that consumers should steer clear of:
Three-pound bags of diced yellow onions
Eight-ounce cups of diced yellow onions
Eight-ounce cups of diced celery and onions
10-ounce cups of diced mirepoix
Eight-ounce cups of diced red onions
The retailers that have been selling the contaminated vegetables include:
Smart & Final
Bashas Markets
CHEF’STORE
Stater Bros.
While the onions were only distributed in six states – Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and California – infections are spreading across the country. California and Utah have been linked as the hot spots for this salmonella outbreak, with both states tallying 17 cases.
Other states that have been affected include Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Georgia, New York and Massachusetts.
Gills Onions has recalled all of the potentially contaminated products, and the items have been pulled from store shelves; however, consumers should still be on alert if they have these products at home, mixed in with other foods, or stored in the freezer.
The FDA reported that the products that have been linked to infection all have “use by” dates ranging from August 8, 2023 through August 28, 2023.
According to the CDC, illnesses traced back to Gills Onions started as early as August 2, 2023, and while over 70 cases have been reported so far, the agency believes the actual figure of those who have been infected is much higher.
Consumers are advised to throw away any potentially contaminated products they find at home, and immediately sanitize any surfaces the contaminated onions have touched.