Another defective food product threatens American families, as the Food and Drug Administration warned about a massive tomato recall.
Ray & Mascari’s contaminated vine-ripe tomatoes could bring dangerous Salmonella into American homes at a time when the food supply chain seems increasingly vulnerable to safety failures.
Ray & Mascari, Inc., based in Indianapolis, Indiana, has recalled its “4-Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes” due to potential salmonella contamination.
The recall was initiated after Hanshaw & Capling Farms of Immokalee, Florida, notified the company about the possible presence of Salmonella in their product.
Though no illnesses have been reported so far, the contamination risk is serious enough to warrant immediate consumer action.
The affected tomatoes were sold in Gordon Food Service Stores across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
They come in plastic clamshell packaging with a “VINE RIPE TOMATOES” label and a “Packed by Ray & Mascari Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46204” notice.
The master case labels include either Lot# RM250424 15250B or Lot# RM250427 15250 B.
The FDA and Ray & Mascari are clearly instructing families who may have purchased these tomatoes not to consume them.
Instead, consumers should either return the tomatoes to the place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of them immediately.
The products can be identified by their packaging—a clamshell container weighing 1 pound 4 ounces (20 ounces) and bearing the UPC number 7 96553 20062 1.
This pull is just one of multiple food safety incidents in recent months that have left American consumers questioning the effectiveness of our food safety systems.
In a separate but similar incident, Williams Farms Repack LLC announced on May 2 that tomatoes distributed to Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were also being recalled for potential salmonella contamination.
Moreover, health officials stated that salmonella should not be taken lightly, particularly for vulnerable populations.
According to the agency’s notice, salmonella can “cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.”
For healthy individuals, symptoms typically include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
In more severe cases, Salmonella can enter the bloodstream and cause potentially life-threatening conditions.
“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,” the notice said.
Concerned consumers who may have purchased these tomatoes should check their refrigerators immediately.
Those who have questions or wish to report illness should contact Ray & Mascari Inc. during regular business hours.
As American families continue to face rising food costs, the last thing they need is to pay premium prices for products that put their health at risk.
