Tomatoes Recalled in 14 States as FDA Sets Highest Risk Level
Two separate recalls have been classified as Class I, the most serious warning level, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of potential salmonella contamination in raw tomato products distributed across multiple U.S. states.
The ongoing recalls, both initiated voluntarily by the distributing firms, involve tomatoes produced by Williams Farms Repack LLC under the brand name Hanshaw & Capling Farm (or H&C Farms) in Immokalee, Florida, and by Ray & Mascari Inc. of Indianapolis.
Newsweek has contacted Ray & Mascari Inc. for comment via email outside regular working hours and Williams Farms Repack LLC via phone.
The recalls affect large quantities of tomatoes distributed across a number of states and include both retail and bulk packaging. The potential contamination with salmonella—a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems—determines the high level of risk to consumers associated with the recall.
Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. 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 recall from Williams Farms Repack involves 3,651 boxes of "H&C Farms Raw Premium Tomatoes, Naturally Grown from Seed" packaged in various sizes ranging from jumbo to 6x7, with all requiring refrigeration.
The affected lot is marked as 098 14TO3-1. The product was distributed in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana and Massachusetts.
The recall was initiated on April 29 and classified by the FDA on May 13.
Separately, Ray & Mascari issued a recall of 510 cases of vine ripe tomatoes. The products were contained in clamshell packages and several bulk packaging sizes. Affected lot numbers range from RM 250420 to RM 250427.
The tomatoes were distributed across Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The recall was initiated on April 30 and classified by the FDA on May 13.
While no illnesses have been publicly linked to these products, the Class I designation indicates that use of or exposure to them may cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
The FDA said on its website: "Most people infected with Salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness, salmonellosis, usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. Most people with salmonellosis develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
"More severe cases of salmonellosis may include a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases may become fatal. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that approximately 450 persons in the United States die each year from acute salmonellosis.
"Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their healthcare provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble a Salmonella infection."
Both recalls remain ongoing. Consumers are advised to check for the listed lot numbers and discard any affected products.
Consumers who have purchased the Ray & Mascari products and have questions or reports of any illness may contact the company at 1-317-637-0234 between Monday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Consumers who purchased the Williams Farm Repack products may contact the company at 843-866-7707 or 843-599-5154 between Monday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Related Articles
Study Reveals Superfood That May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk, Promote LongevityCCTV Captures Dog Seizing His Moment With Tomatoes When Owner 'Not Looking'Tomato Sauce Recall Update as FDA Sets Risk LevelRepublican Suggests Vaccines May Be Getting Injected Into Lettuce
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
F.D.A. Looks to A.I. to Enhance Efficiency
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to 'radically increase efficiency' in deciding whether to approve new drugs and devices, one of several top priorities laid out in an article published Tuesday in JAMA. Another initiative involves a review of chemicals and other 'concerning ingredients' that appear in U.S. food but not in the food of other developed nations. And officials want to speed up the final stages of making a drug or medical device approval decision to mere weeks, citing the success of Operation Warp Speed during the Covid pandemic when workers raced to curb a spiraling death count. 'The F.D.A. will be focused on delivering faster cures and meaningful treatments for patients, especially those with neglected and rare diseases, healthier food for children and common-sense approaches to rebuild the public trust,' Dr. Marty Makary, the agency commissioner, and Dr. Vinay Prasad, who leads the division that oversees vaccines and gene therapy, wrote in the JAMA article. The agency plays a central role in pursuing the agenda of the U.S. health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and it has already begun to press food makers to eliminate artificial food dyes. The new road map also underscores the Trump administration's efforts to smooth the way for major industries with an array of efforts aimed at getting products to pharmacies and store shelves quickly. Some aspects of the proposals outlined in JAMA were met with skepticism, particularly the idea that artificial intelligence is up to the task of shearing months or years from the painstaking work of examining applications that companies submit when seeking approval for a drug or high-risk medical device. 'I don't want to be dismissive of speeding reviews at the F.D.A.,' said Stephen Holland, a lawyer who formerly advised the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on health care. 'I think that there is great potential here, but I'm not seeing the beef yet.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
FDA Pauses Trials of Gilead HIV Combination After Safety Signal
Gilead Sciences Inc. said federal regulators had placed on hold trials of a new experimental once-weekly HIV drug combination therapy after white blood cell counts dropped in some of the patients. The studies were testing two experimental HIV drugs, GS-1720 and GS-4182, when given together. Gilead said the Food and Drug Administration paused the trials due to a ' safety signal ' triggered by a decrease in lymphocyte levels in some patients given the therapy. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that play a critical role in the immune system's ability to fight infections.
Medscape
an hour ago
- Medscape
Insmed's Drug for Rare Lung Disease Meets Main Goal in Mid-stage Trial
(Reuters) -Insmed said on Tuesday that its experimental drug significantly reduced blood pressure in the lungs and improved exercise capacity in patients in a mid-stage study, sending shares of the company up 26% in premarket trading. The drug, treprostinil palmitil, is a once-daily therapy that is inhaled through a device. The 102-patient study found that the drug helped reduce blood pressure in the patients' lungs by 35%, compared with a placebo. It also helped improve the patients' ability to walk by an average of 35.5 meters and reduced levels of a protein associated with heart stress by 60%. The company plans to discuss the trial data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and initiate a late-stage trial for the drug in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — a rare disease caused by a constriction of arteries in the lungs, leading to high blood pressure - in early 2026. Insmed also plans to start a separate late-stage trial for the drug in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease - a condition where lung scarring leads to high blood pressure in the lung arteries - before the end of 2025. Current treatment options available to treat PAH are Merck's injectable Winrevair and Liquidia's inhaled Yutrepia. (Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) Reuters Health Information © 2025 Reuters Ltd.
