McDonald's cuts tomatoes from sandwiches
OAK BROOK, Ill.; June 9, 2008 McDonald's said Monday it has stopped
serving sliced tomatoes in its U.S. restaurants over concerns about
salmonella food poisoning linked to some uncooked varieties.
The grocer Winn-Dixie Stores said it was also taking some
tomatoes off its shelves. Other restaurant and supermarket chains
reportedly halted some tomato sales as federal health officials
worked to trace the source of the outbreak.
McDonald's Corp., the world's largest hamburger chain, stopped
serving sliced tomatoes on its sandwiches as a precaution until the
source of the salmonella is known, according to a statement Monday
from spokeswoman Danya Proud.
McDonald's will continue serving grape tomatoes in its salads
because no problems have been linked to that variety, Proud said.
Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. said it was voluntarily taking tomatoes
involved in a Food and Drug Administration warning off its shelves.
The Jacksonville, Fla.-based retailer operates 521 stores in
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.
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.
The FDA is investigating the source of the outbreak, FDA
spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings said in an e-mail. The FDA said
Saturday the outbreak was linked to certain varieties of raw
tomatoes including red plum, red Roma and red round.
In Pittsburgh, KDKA-TV reported that Giant Eagle supermarkets
have removed several kinds of tomatoes from their shelves.
Fast-food chains Taco Bell Corp. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
also have halted serving tomatoes, the Los Angeles Times reported.
And supermarket chains Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons have stopped the
selling red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes cited by the FDA,
the newspaper said.
DY