Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Gills Onions Diced onions recall: Salmonella

Recall published 3+ years ago

Salmonella

Gills Onions Fresh produce — recalled fresh produceGills Onions Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 2)Gills Onions Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 3)Gills Onions Fresh produce — recalled fresh produce (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Salmonella contamination

Salmonella is what triggered this notice. The bacteria transfer readily from hands and surfaces, which is why the clean-up matters as much as the disposal.

What the notice says: October 23, 2023 – Gills Onions of Oxnard, CA is voluntarily recalling Gills Onions branded fresh diced onions products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States. It spreads easily from a contaminated product to hands, taps, cloths and other food in the same kitchen.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

The CDC describes salmonellosis as diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure and last about four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. Children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill. Seek care for diarrhoea with a high fever, bloody stools, vomiting that stops you keeping liquids down, diarrhoea lasting more than three days, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, a dry mouth or dizziness when standing.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
October 23, 2023
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Gills Onions
Product type
Fresh produce
UPC codes
643550000320, 643550000658, 643550000696, 643550000788, 643550000641

Products covered by this recall

Diced onions

What the company announced

October 23, 2023 – Gills Onions of Oxnard, CA is voluntarily recalling Gills Onions branded fresh diced onions products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. Symptoms usually occur within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and usually last four to seven days.

Consumers: The recalled products, which were sent to Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, are identified in the table below. These recalled products are well beyond their August 2023 use-by-dates, and are no longer available for sale in stores. Please check for product description in table below. We recognize that the recalled onions or foods with those onions as an ingredient could be in consumers’ freezers. Anyone who has an expired, recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard it.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product and have questions may contact Gills Onions at 1-800-348-2255, or visit our website at www.gillsonions.com for a copy of this press release and photos of the recalled products.

This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Food safety and public health are our priorities, so the company initiated the recall after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) notified it that the recalled products were part of the agency’s traceback investigation into an ongoing Salmonella Thompson outbreak. Out of an abundance of caution, the company’s recall and the table below include all products produced on the same day and on the same production lines as the implicated onions.

Gills Onions has notified its customers who received the recalled product directly from the company and requested that they remove it from commerce. We also asked direct customers to notify their customers of this recall.

  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Product Description · UPC* · Use-by date · Lot codes located on the side of the cups or back of the bags · State · Retail outlet
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Gills Onions Brand 3 lb. bags, diced yellow onions · 643550000320 · 8/18/23 · 223YAS2B2R212 · California · Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/25/23 · 223YAS3A2R219
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/11/23 · 223YAC2A2R205 · Arizona and California · Bashas Markets and Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/14/23 · 223YAS3A2R208
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223YAS2A2R222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/11/23 · 223YAC2A2R205 · California Oregon Washington Idaho Montana · Smart & Final and CHEF'STORE
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/14/23 · 223YAS3A2R208
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/18/23 · 223YAS2A2R212
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/21/23 · 223YAS3A2R215
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/25/23 · 223YAM3A2R219
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223YAS2A2R222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Gills Onions Brand 8 oz cups, diced yellow onions · 643550000658 · 8/15/23 · 223YAS3A1Z209 · Arizona and California · Bashas Markets, Smart & Final, and Stater Bros.
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/19/23 · 223YAM4A1Z213
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/21/23 · 223YAS3A1Z215
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/26/23 · 223YAS3A1Z220
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223YAM4A1Z222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/12/23 · 223YAC2A1Z206 · California · Stater Bros
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/14/23 · 223YAS3A1Z208 · California · Smart & Final and Stater Bros
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Gills Onions Brand 8 oz cups, diced celery & onions · 643550000696 · 8/15/23 · 223YAS3A1Z209 · Arizona and California · Bashas Markets, Smart & Final, and Stater Bros
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/21/23 · 223YAS3A1Z215
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223YAS3A1Z222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223YAM4A1Z222 · California · Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Gills Onions Brand 10 oz cups, diced mirepoix · 643550000788 · 8/8/23 · 223YAC2A1Z206 · California · Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/11/23 · 223YAS3A1Z209
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/15/23 · 223YAM4A1Z213
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/17/23 · 223YAS3A1Z215
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/22/23 · 223YAS3A1Z220
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/24/23 · 223YAM4A1Z222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: Gills Onions Brand 8 oz cups, diced red onions · 643550000641 · 8/12/23 · 123RAC1A1Z206 · California · Stater Bros Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/28/23 · 223RAB1A1Z222
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/19/23 · 123RAB1A1Z213 · California · Stater Bros
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/15/23 · 123RAB1A1Z209 · California · Smart & Final
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/14/23 · 123RAB1A1Z208 · Arizona and California · Bashas Markets, Smart & Final, and Stater Bros
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/21/23 · 123RAB1A1Z215
  • 10/23/23 Firm-Initiated Recall: 8/26/23 · 223RAB1A1Z220

*The UPC code alone does NOT identify the product. The UPC, brand, and expiration date, together, identify the recalled product

FDA Advisory

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 8 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 643550000320
  • 643550000658
  • 643550000696
  • 643550000788
  • 643550000641

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 3 lb
  • 8 oz
  • 10 oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Salmonella

Gills Onions — Salmonella is what triggered this notice. The bacteria transfer readily from hands and surfaces, which is why the clean-up matters as much as the disposal.

  1. Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.
  2. Bag it and bin it, or take it back to the store — do not feed it to pets or livestock either.
  3. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the pack, and wash any dish, utensil or surface it touched in hot soapy water.
  4. If you repackaged or froze it, check the freezer too. Salmonella is not killed by freezing.

Getting a refund without the pack

The commonest reason people skip the refund is that they have already thrown the item away. That rarely matters.

  • A photo of the label and lot code is accepted by most grocers, and so is a card statement line showing the purchase.
  • Store credit is often offered first. You can ask for the original payment method instead, and it is normally granted.
  • No photo either? Ask anyway. Grocery chains settle recall refunds at the service desk because disputing them costs more than paying them.
  • For a multi-pack or a case, ask for the full purchase price rather than a per-unit figure — the recall covers what you paid.

Remedy named in the notice: Anyone who has an expired, recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard it.

Company contact: Gills Onions — Consumers: Gills Onions, 800-348.2255 — Media: Amy Philpott, 703-472-6615, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Gills Onions fresh produce recalled?

Salmonella October 23, 2023 – Gills Onions of Oxnard, CA is voluntarily recalling Gills Onions branded fresh diced onions products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 643550000320, 643550000658, 643550000696. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Anyone who has an expired, recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard it.

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