Onions Were Linked to a Salmonella Outbreak in 37 States—Here’s What to Know

Public health authorities have traced a salmonella outbreak affecting people in 37 states back to whole onions imported from Mexico. Now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging consumers to check where their onions came from and, if the source is unclear, toss them.

Specifically, public health agencies identified whole onions from ProSource Inc. (also called ProSource Produce LLC) as a potential source, the FDA says. The affected produce was imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, and includes whole, fresh onions in red, white, and yellow varieties. (If this is starting to sound familiar it might be because there was a massive onion recall due to salmonella contamination about a year ago.)

ProSource voluntarily recalled all of its potentially contaminated onions with import dates between July 1, 2021, and August 27, 2021. “Descriptors of these onion types include, but are not limited to, jumbo, colossal, medium, and sweet onions,” according to the FDA release. The onions were sold to both restaurants and grocery stores nationwide, the CDC says.

So far, the salmonella outbreak linked to whole onions has sickened 652 people and caused 129 hospitalizations, the CDC says. But no deaths have been reported in relation to the outbreak.

The typical symptoms of a salmonella infection—diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever—usually start between six hours and six days of eating the contaminated food, the CDC says. For most people, the infection clears up on its own within a week, the CDC explains. But sometimes a salmonella infection can become more severe. And those who are younger than 5 years old, over age 65, and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to experience more serious salmonella symptoms.

For now, the CDC and FDA are urging consumers to check their onions for stickers that indicate where they’re from. If you bought any whole, fresh red, white, or yellow ProSource Inc. onions imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, you should throw them out. If your onions don’t have a sticker on them or you’re not sure where they came from, you should err on the side of caution and dispose of them. You should also wash any surfaces that the onions came in contact with, the CDC says.

And if you have severe symptoms (such as diarrhea for more than three days, vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration), you should get in contact with a health care provider.

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