The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says that Sysco red onions are recalled in relation to the Salmonella Newport outbreak in that country. The onions were imported from the United States into five western Canadian provinces. At least 114 people are sick with Salmonella Newport infections in those provinces, and 16 are hospitalized because they are so ill.
The onions were distributed in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan at the consumer level. These are the cities that have Sysco locations where the Sysco red onions were sold: Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Regina.
The recalled products are Imperial Fresh brand Red Onions – Jumbo, in 10 pound bags. The product code on the package is 8399925. Also recalled are Imperial Fresh Red Onions – Jumbo, packaged in 25 pound bags. The product code for that package size is 8313967. All of these products imported since May 24, 2020 are recalled.
The recall was triggered by findings by the CFIA during its investigation into the outbreak. A food safety investigation is being conducted, which may lead to the recall of more products. The CFIA is making sure that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace.
Check to see if you have any of these recalled red onions in your home. If you do, throw them out or take them back to the store where you purchased them for a full refund. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling these onions and clean out the areas where you stored them.
If you aren’t sure whether or not the red onions you bought are these recalled products, check with your grocer. They should know, but if they don’t, discard any unmarked or unidentified red onions.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and stomach pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People usually start feeling ill 6 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with this pathogen. While most people recover without medical treatment, some do become sick enough to be hospitalized. And long term health complications from this infection, even after recovery, can include reactive arthritis, endocarditis, and high blood pressure.
