The customers in New Mexico and Texas are warned not to eat certain types of raw red tomatoes – says the warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in the wake of 57 cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella, in New Mexico and Texas, reported from 23 April to 1 June.

According to the FDA that is nosing about the source of the contaminated tomatoes, there have been around 17 hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported yet.

The New Mexico Health officials have started testing a variety of tomatoes, after the federal agency stated that preliminary investigations suggest that raw plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes are contaminated. The health authorities have recommended limited consumption of tomatoes, excluding cherry and grape tomatoes, those sold with the vine attached and those grown at home.

According to the Health Departments, tomatoes should be washed before they are eaten, and if cut, peeled, or cooked, they should be refrigerated within two hours. The critical issue is making sure the tomato's skin is not broken.

Several businesses have started removing tomatoes from market, as a precaution. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In some cases, the organism can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses and the infection can be fatal.

The FDA has advised the people eating raw tomatoes and experiencing any of salmonella symptoms should contact health authorities. The agency has also advised the people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, or infants to stay away from tomatoes tied to the salmonella outbreak.

Last year the FDA, the state health and agriculture departments of Virginia and Florida, and a number of universities and industry bodies set up the Tomato Safety Initiative to reduce the incidence of tomato-related food-borne illnesses.