STATEMENT MEDIA INQUIRIES: 301-827-6242 November 20, 2003 CONSUMER INQUIRIES: 888-INFO-FDA

THE FDA TODAY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO CLARIFY ITS ACTIONS ON IMPORTED MEXICAN GREEN ONIONS (SCALLIONS)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), several states, and Mexican authorities to investigate possible links between recent outbreaks of hepatitis A and raw green onions (scallions).

Raw green onions from three firms in Mexico have been implicated on the basis of FDA tracebacks in the outbreak of hepatitis A infections that occurred in Tennessee and Georgia last September. FDA has ordered inspectors at the border to hold for examination any green onions (scallions) from these firms.

FDA continues to conduct tracebacks of raw green onions (scallions) that have been involved in foodborne outbreaks in North Carolina last September.

FDA continues its close collaboration with CDC and the State of Pennsylvania to identify the source of the current outbreak of hepatitis A in the Pittsburgh area.

As a precaution and as part of its investigation of this hepatitis A outbreak, FDA is tracing back all shipments of raw green onions (scallions) for the time period involved that went to the restaurant that is the focus of the investigation in the Pittsburgh area.

FDA will take further action as needed and provide additional information as it becomes available.