McDonald's Cans Tomatoes Over Health Scare

Salmonella Cases In At Least 16 States Leads Restaurant To Stop Serving Sliced Tomatoes

(CBS/ AP)  McDonald's says it has stopped serving sliced tomatoes in its restaurants over concerns about Salmonella food poisoning linked to uncooked tomatoes.

Spokeswoman Danya Proud said Monday the world's largest hamburger chain has stopped serving sliced tomatoes on all of its sandwiches in the United States as a precaution until the source of the salmonella is known.

Proud says McDonald's will continue to serve grape tomatoes in its salads because no problems have been linked to that variety.

The source of the tomatoes responsible for the illnesses in at least 16 states has not been pinpointed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said at least 23 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Investigations by the Texas and New Mexico Departments of Health and the U.S. Indian Health Service have tied 56 cases in Texas and 55 in New Mexico to raw, uncooked, tomatoes.

"We're seeing a steady increase," Deborah Busemeyer, New Mexico Department of Health communications director, said Saturday.

An additional 50 people have been sickened by the same Salmonella "Saintpaul" infection in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Investigators are trying to determine if raw tomatoes also are responsible for the illnesses in those states, said Arleen Porcell, a CDC spokeswoman.

In response to the problem, the FDA has issued a tomato warning to consumers in all 50 states, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

The rarity of the Saintpaul strain and the number of illnesses "suggest that implicated tomatoes are distributed throughout the country," she said.

Interviews conducted with 73 people found the illnesses began between April 16 and May 27, Porcell said.

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. It usually is transmitted to humans by eating food contaminated with animal feces.

Most infected people suffer fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps starting 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness tends to last four to seven days. Many people recover without treatment, but severe infection and death is possible.

---

Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay offered insight on the situation. To see the interview, click on the arrow in the image below:

[dragonmouse-2009]

It''s the ATTACK of the Killer Tomatoes...Everybody break out their Donny Osmond records!

Oh stop already. We are talking about 150 people nationwide. This is NOT even a "life threatening" illness. Perhaps it can be but unlikely.

Let us add to the rising food costs because a few tomotoes were most likely not washed properly. It has been going on supposedly since APRIL. It''s really impossible to control all forces in a field of DIRT.

I just do NOT think this is a big problem. McDonalds is just getting a little free advertisment by pretending to be all heroic.

[twogunsono1g]

Sam and Ella are very bad people and should never be allowed to grow tomatoes again!!!!

[oneworldusa]

Sales of tomatoes will come to a halt. As a commodity and food staple, their value will drop greatly.

Then Hillary will invest in tomatoes because they will be back.

Next, Hillary will ''lose'' her documents related to such transactions, but then faced with the reality of conviction, they will suddenly turn up, hundreds of pages of them.

She profited from America''s tragedy before. That''s why I couldn''t vote for her for President.

[sculptagain]

This kind of thing just shouldn''t happen. Millions of dollars flow into departments that are suppose to see this *** doesn''t happen. Someone''s head should roll for not seeing that fruits and vegetables are cleaned before they make it to the store shelves. And if the dangers come from non-regulated areas, the idiot that Eat raw fruit and veggies shoud know to wash them first. Morons get sick because they are Morons. We get sick most of the time because the government isn''t doing their job and we are sometimes Morons.
Wash Raw foods.

[ausus-2009]

cyberDJs4, A high percentage of food poisoning comes from improper food handling. Poor hygiene and inadequate refrigeration at home can just as much of a risk.

[cyberdjs4]

Still think being a Vegan makes you safer and healthier?

If you eat ANYTHING you haven''t grown yourself, you''re at risk.

[ausus-2009]

At least you can get some fresh vegetables in your sandwich in the US. In London for $8 I got a so-called hamburger that consisted of a bun and a piece of salty meat covered with ketchup, nothing else.

[incog-nito]

Hey, what''s a few deaths here and there compared to the cost savings by employing cheap illegal labor.

[feelfree4u]

Infected tomatoes are among the least of the health risks of a regular McDonald''s customer.

Let ''em eat Exxon-Mobil!

[ausus-2009]

OneWorldUSA, Food from Australia has standards in many cases higher than from the US and is perfectly safe. I agree that China is a problem. As well as pesticides that are banned in the US, there are cases of poor handling and fertilizing with night soil.