Tomatoes Returning To Menus As Salmonella Outbreak Winds Down

June 15, 2008 4:20 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Tomatoes will be back on the menu at McDonalds and various other restaurants in the United States and Canada.

After a widespread outbreak of salmonella-tainted tomatoes many restaurants pulled the vegetable from their menus. But on Saturday, McDonalds Corporation announced that it would begin serving sliced tomatoes on its sandwiches again.

Rival Burger King had already begun serving tomatoes again 10 days ago.

Those restaurants were joined by several other restaurants and grocery chains in offering tomatoes again.

Among those businesses that joined McDonalds in banishing the ban on tomatoes were Boston Pizza, Priszm, which owns and operates Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC in Canada and Cara Operations, which operates Swiss Chalet Rotisserie & Grill, Milestone's Grill and Bar, Montana's Cookhouse, Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill, Harvey's and Coza! Tuscan Grill as well as supplying food to Canadian airlines and trains.

United States authorities still don't know exactly where the salmonella-tainted tomatoes came from, but among the likely suspects are New Mexico, Baja California and Indiana.

During this latest outbreak salmonella-tainted tomatoes have been linked to one death in Texas and 228 illnesses in 23 states since April.