PHAC Expands The Recall Of Onions From The U.S. After Severe Salmonella Outbreak
After 17 cases of hospitalization due to salmonella occurred in Canada recently, it was found to be linked with the imported onions from the United States. After the connection was made, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency expanded its recall of the said onions on Sunday.
Though initially the recall was made for only the red onions, the department now declared that red, red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions distributed by the company, Thomson International in California will all be included in the recall.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) stated that after the first recall was announced on July 30, six additional salmonella cases linked to the onions were reported in Saskatchewan and Quebec.
The agency reported a total of 120 cases of salmonella linked to the onions in different parts of Canada, especially in Manitoba, Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island.
The statement read that even though the investigation has determined that red onions are most likely the main source of the salmonella outbreak, Thomson International Inc. has decided to recall all the varieties of onions for the risk of cross-contamination as they came in contact with the potentially contaminated red onions.
Canadians were warned by the agency to not eat or sell any kind of onion from Thomson International or the products made with these onions.
The Public Health Agency of Canada asked people to throw out any onion with stickers or labels with no clear indication of whether it came from the U.S.
The agency is expecting more cases in the near future as ‘there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials.’ The reporting period for this salmonella outbreak is between two and four weeks.
No cases of death have been reported.
The federal officials in the U.S. claimed that almost 400 salmonella cases linked to onions from Thomson International in more than 30 states have been reported in the country. The outbreak in the U.S. started between mid-June and mid-July.
After being exposed to the bacteria, the symptoms of the disease start in 6 to 72 hours. The symptoms include fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, and vomiting, and they last for four to seven days.
Though many patients do not require hospitalization or any treatment, some do require antibiotics. People with weaker immunity, children under the age of six, pregnant women, and older people are more vulnerable to the disease.
Glenda Bozeman – Business and Services
Glenda Bozeman writes Business articles for industries that want to see their Google search rankings surge. Her articles have appeared in a number of sites. Her articles focus on enlightening with informative Services sector needs. She holds the degree of Masters in Business and Marketing. Before she started writing, she experimented with various professions: computer programming, assistant marker, and others. But her favorite job is writing that she is now doing full-time.
