Durham among counties with salmonella-tainted produce

State inspectors are working in Durham County and 23 other counties to remove avocados and jalapeno peppers suspected of salmonella contamination from more than 100 small stores.

The recall was issued after two samples from a Charlotte food distributor, El Campo, tested positive for salmonella.

In addition, federal health officials Thursday lifted their health warning on tomatoes, which were initially implicated in a national salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 1,220 people, including 23 in North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement today that the food distributor received the produce from Grande Produce Limited, a Texas food supply company. The company has been notified to recall the products distributed in North Carolina.

The agriculture department and the N.C. Division of Environmental Health are trying to find out how many food distributors, restaurants and grocery stores in the state received the tainted produce.

But state epidemiologist Jeffrey Engel said produce purchased in major chain grocery stores is not affected. Most of the stores with the tainted produce are smaller Hispanic markets.

The Hass avocados were shipped from Texas in boxes labeled "Frutas Finas de Tancitaro Hass Avocados, Produce of Mexico," 60 count with lot number HUE08160090889. The jalapenos were shipped in black plastic crates weighing about 15 pounds and containing no brand name or other label.

Of the 23 people in North Carolina sickened in the salmonella outbreak, two are in Wake County, six are in Mecklenburg County, and the rest are scattered throughout the state.

Consumers are reminded to thoroughly wash raw produce under running water and to keep raw produce away from raw meats and raw seafood.

State inspectors are working today to remove produce from shelves of stores in the following counties:

Alamance

Buncombe

Caldwell

Cabarras

Cleveland

Duplin

Durham

Forsyth

Gaston

Granville

Guilford

Iredell

Lenoir

Lincoln

Mecklenburg

Mitchell

Onslow

Randolph

Robeson

Rowan

Sampson

Transylvania

Union

Washington

The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued this information about salmonella:

-- Salmonella bacteria sickens people who eat food contaminated with the feces of an infected animal or human.

-- Symptoms can range in severity, and include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and fever.

-- In rare cases, salmonella poisoning can be fatal in children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. In others, it may be so mild as to be mistaken for a stomach virus.

-- Nationwide, at least 203 people have been hospitalized, and one elderly man has died in the most recent outbreak.