COMMERCE, Calif. (AP) - Some red and yellow onions sold in the West at Trader Joe's and Ralphs are being recalled in relation to an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to the vegetable.
Progressive Produce said Monday that it received affected onions by Thomson International, the California company identified by The Food and Drug Administration as the likely source of the outbreak.
Both companies are based in Kern County.
No other produce sold by the company has been recalled.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that Salmonella Newport has sickened 640 people and sent 85 to the hospital.
There have been no deaths linked to the outbreak.
The president of Progressive Producer, Marty D. Kamer issued a statement about the outbreak, saying:
"Progressive Produce LLC has been in existence since 1967 and has had an active Food Safety department for nearly as long. We take these matters very seriously and are saddened about the most recent outbreak. In fact, this is the very first time in our history that we have had any produce that we have grown, purchased or sold be part of a recall. Conventional onions are a significant part of our history, and we have sold billions of pounds of them during our 53 years without incident.
"Please be assured that we are taking every precaution available to inform our partners and to assist in any way with authorities to protect our customers and their consumers.
"We want to be thorough in our food safety practices every single day, and we want you to know that we are working hard daily to meet the most stringent guidelines practicable in maintaining a safe food supply for the public."
