A food scientist says Canadians may have to seek out new sources of flavour as U.S.-grown onions are pulled from produce sections because of concerns about salmonella contamination.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says Thomson International is expanding its recall of red onions to include the yellow, white and sweet yellow varieties.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified the California-based growerB次元官网网址檚 red onions as a likely source of the salmonella outbreak across the country.
As of Aug. 2, the agency says there are 120 confirmed cases in Canada, including 56 in Alberta, 43 in British Columbia, 13 in Manitoba and four in Saskatchewan.
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Keith Warriner, a food science professor at University of Guelph, said onions and related products may be hard to come by in the grocery aisle out of an abundance of caution about potential cross-contamination.
B次元官网网址淐lear the shelves, start again. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the playbook,B次元官网网址� Warriner said. B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檒l get our onions back soon enough, but I think youB次元官网网址檒l notice (more product) recalls in all these dribs and drabs.B次元官网网址�
If you do spot an onion at the store, Warriner said check the label to make sure it wasnB次元官网网址檛 grown in the U.S.
Salmonella outbreaks linked to onions are uncommon, said Warriner. He suspects improperly composted manure may be the cause of contamination, or the bacteria may have travelled through irrigation water.
While the recall applies to onions that have been imported since May, Warriner said itB次元官网网址檚 tough to tell when the outbreak began because onions have such a long shelf life.
For Canadians unsure what to do with their supply, Warriner said the watchword in food safety is B次元官网网址渋f in doubt, throw it out.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淣obody wants a bout of salmonella, not only because it can literally kill you, but because of secondary symptoms, which include arthritis, and it can make you more susceptible to other illnesses.B次元官网网址�
In most cases, he said cooking kills salmonella. But thereB次元官网网址檚 concern that the bacteria could be on the outside of the onion and spread to kitchen surfaces and other ingredients.
Warriner said it shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be too long until grocers restock their shelves with onions from other countries, such as Mexico, and growing season will soon get underway in Canada.
B次元官网网址淭he system is pretty robust,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 wonB次元官网网址檛 be surprised if we see onions again in a week or two.B次元官网网址�
Until then, the one-time chef suggests using alternatives such as leek and garlic to add some zest to your recipes.
B次元官网网址淵ou can get dried onions,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut theyB次元官网网址檙e not very nice.B次元官网网址�
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Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
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