Some tomatoes, cucumbers sold in Pennsylvania recalled

Tomatoes and cucumbers purchased at local Western Pennsylvania stores could be contaminated with salmonella, health officials said.

Ray & Mascari Inc. of Indianapolis, recalled 4 Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes packaged in clam shell containers because of potential contamination with salmonella.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Anyone not in those groups who becomes infected could experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Pennsylvania is one of the states in which the recalled tomatoes were sold — specifically by Gordon Food Service stores. There are four Gordon Food Service stores in the Pittsburgh area:

• 3620 William Penn Hwy in Monroeville
• 510 Clairton Blvd in Pleasant Hills
• 835 N Greengate Rd in Hempfield
• 1 Urbano Way in Robinson

The tomatoes are 20 ounces with UPC# 7 96553 20062 1.

The 4- count plastic clam shells have a “VINE RIPE TOMATOES” label containing a “Packed by Ray & Mascari Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46204.”

The master case would be a cardboard produce box with a lid, containing 12 4 count containers, and the master case label would have Lot# RM250424 15250B or Lot# RM250427 15250B.

Other states affected include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Ray & Mascari Inc. was notified by Hanshaw & Capling Farms of Immokalee, Florida that they were recalling the lot of tomatoes due to the possible presence of Salmonella in their facility.

The recall was announced by the company on May 2, and the FDA then published the information on May 3.

Anyone who purchased the tomatoes should throw them out and not consume them, the FDA said.

Ray & Mascari Inc. said customers who received the recalled lots have been notified and provided information to further contact their customers and distribution centers with recall instructions.

Questions or reports of any illness should be directed to Ray & Mascari Inc. at 1-317-637-0234 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

As of May 3, no illnesses had been reported as a result of the tomatoes.

The FDA is also investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections linked to whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. in Florida.

The cucumbers were distributed between April 29 and May 19 by Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. to various stores, restaurants and other facilities.

Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages and the types could be labeled as “supers,” “selects” or “plains.” They weren’t organic.

Target is recalling products that used the cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., FDA said.

Pennsylvania is one of 18 states affected by the cucumber salmonella outbreak.