Several supermarket chains that operate stores in Howard County this week removed tomatoes from their shelves in response to a nationwide June 9 warning from federal health officials that bacteria from Salmonella serotype Saintpaul had contaminated tomatoes elsewhere in the country.

Officials at Giant Food Inc., Harris Teeter Inc. and Safeway Inc. removed some or all of the tomatoes and foods containing the tomatoes from their stock, according to store officials.

Since mid-April, Salmonella Saintpaul found on tomatoes has infected 167 people in 17 states -- though not in Maryland -- with no deaths reported, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Salmonella infections cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. While the infection can pass through healthy adults without causing severe illness, it can do greater harm to the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems.

Federal officials linked the Salmonella bacteria to raw tomatoes grown in several states. Officials also found that tomatoes attached to vines, grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes were not infected.

Two incidents of Salmonella infection reported in Virginia are the closest cases to Maryland, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York are on a safe list of states that are not sources of contaminated tomatoes, federal health safety officials said.

Extended caution

Officials of Giant Food did not yet know this week when the chain, which acquires its tomatoes from several states, would restock its shelves, said Giant spokesman Jamie Miller.

"We're going to monitor the situation, and we'll take appropriate action as necessary," he added.

Giant operates seven stores in Howard County.

Safeway Inc., which operates five stores in Howard, examined its product list and removed only packaged tomatoes and vine-ripe tomatoes on June 8 from its stock, said Greg TenEyck, a Safeway spokesman.

The chain planned to stock tomatoes brought from safe states later this week, he said.

The North Carolina-based Harris Teeter, which grows most of its tomatoes on farms in its home state, have reported no problems with contaminated tomatoes in their stock, but pulled tomatoes off shelves nationwide as a precaution, said Jennifer Panetta, a company spokeswoman.

Store officials planned to replace the tomatoes by June 11, she said.

Harris Teeter operates one store in Howard County.

Federal health officials this week continued to investigate the contamination.

The cause could be contaminated irrigated water used on crops in some states, said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County's Health Officer.

No cases of Salmonella infection have been reported in Howard County, he added.

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