Health

FDA Upgrades Tomato Recall to Highest Risk Level Over Salmonella

Published JUN 5 2025

Story

Above: Canadian supermarket display of fresh tomatoes, photographed on May 7, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta. Image credit: Artur Widak/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Facts

The Food and Drug Administration upgraded a tomato recall to Class I status last week indicating a reasonable probability that exposure could cause serious adverse health consequences or death due to potential salmonella contamination.
Taste of Home
People
Williams Farms Repack LLC initially recalled H&C Farms Label tomatoes on Monday, after being notified by Southeast Tomato Distributors of potential salmonella contamination from H&C Farms on April 29.
People
Newsweek
The recalled tomatoes were distributed between April 23-28 to wholesalers and retailers in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina in various package sizes ranging from three-count trays to 25-pound boxes with lot codes R4467 and R4470.
Taste of Home
USA Today
Salmonella bacteria can survive for weeks in dry environments and months in wet or frozen conditions, meaning stored or frozen tomatoes from the contaminated batch may still pose health risks even after the recall announcement.
The New York Times
US News & World Report
A separate tomato recall was announced by Ray & Mascari Inc. on Tuesday, affecting 4-count Vine Ripe tomatoes sold through Gordon Food Service Stores across 11 states including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
People
The US Sun
No illnesses or deaths have been reported in connection with either tomato recall as of the announcement dates, but health officials urge consumers to discard affected products immediately and seek medical attention if symptoms develop.
USA Today
Daily Mail

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

This recall demonstrates the FDA's commitment to protecting public health by taking swift action when contamination risks emerge. FDA appropriately escalated the warning level as more information became available about the potential severity of exposure. Federal food safety protocols worked exactly as designed, with multiple layers of oversight catching the problem before widespread illness occurred.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Government-critical narrative

There are concerning gaps in U.S. government food safety oversight. The massive cuts to the regulation of food security protocols suggest systemic problems in the supply chain that need immediate attention.