Asked to name foods commonly associated with Salmonella outbreaks, most people probably wouldn’t mention onions. But, like all produce, onions can become contaminated with Salmonella or other pathogens if animal feces containing the bacteria get into the soil or water used to grow them.
When eaten raw, or not cooked to 165˚F, Salmonella-tainted onions can cause severe illness or death. Over the last four years, onions have been linked to three Salmonella outbreaks that have caused thousands of illnesses, hundreds of hospitalizations, and one fatality.
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Where Are the Onions We Eat Grown?
The U.S. is the world’s third-largest onion producer, behind India and China. But the percentage we import has been steadily growing over the last two decades with Mexico and Peru as leaders.
Domestically, onions are grown in 25 states with Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho being the largest producers.
U.S. States Where Onions Are Grown
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
3 Onion Salmonella Outbreaks in 4 Years
Gills Onions Salmonella Outbreak
A 2023 Salmonella outbreak linked to Gills fresh diced onions caused 80 illnesses in 23 states. Eighteen people were hospitalized and one person died.
The outbreak triggered an onion Salmonella recall that included packages of diced yellow onions, diced red onion, mirepoix, and celery, and onion sold in 8-oz, 10-oz, and 3-lb sizes.
The recalled Gills onions were sold at stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wahington including:
- Basha’s Market
- Chefstone
- Smart & Final
- Stater Bros.
2021-2022 ProSource Onions Salmonella Outbreak
A Salmonella outbreak linked to raw onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico sickened 1,040 people, 260 people were hospitalized. Twenty illness clusters linked to restaurant and foodservice items containing these raw, imported onions were distributed in the U.S. by ProSource Inc. of Hailey, Idaho, and Keeler Family Farms in Deming, NM.
2020 Thomson Onions Salmonella Outbreak
A Salmonella outbreak linked to onions produced by Thompson International of Bakersfield, CA and sold under a variety of brand names sickened 1,127 people, 167 were hospitalized. The onions were also linked to 515 illnesses in a separate outbreak in Canada.
Experienced Salmonella Lawyers
If you or your family member developed a Salmonella infection after eating contaminated onions and would like a free consultation with an experienced Salmonella lawyer, please contact us. Our Salmonella Legal Team has represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.