FDA elevates tomato recall in North and South Carolina to highest level

TENNESSEE (WHNT) — A tomato recall initiated in early May has now been classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Class I — the agency's highest level.

It's now one of two ongoing U.S. tomato recalls categorized as Class I. Together, the recalls affect 14 states.

Williams Farms Repack, LLC, had first announced a voluntary recall of nearly a dozen lots of tomatoes on May 2, over concerns of salmonella contamination. These products were packaged and sold to wholesalers and distributors located in the states of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina between April 23 to April 28.

Consumers were urged not to consume the tomatoes, but rather them to the place of purchase for a refund or get rid of the product.

At the end of May, however, the FDA's enforcement report was upda