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"Chief suspects are lettuce, tomatoes used by Sheetz in sandwiches By Cindi Lash and Christopher Snowbeck Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 16, 2004 The number of people sickened in a salmonella outbreak at Sheetz Inc. Health officials believe the illness came from produce that was already contaminated when it was shipped to Sheetz stores. The victims became ill after eating in a number of stores throughout Pennsylvania and neighboring states, said state Department of Health spokesman Richard McGarvey. Agriculture officials took samples on Friday and Monday of tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and cheese from several stores linked to the outbreak, and test results are expected today. McGarvey said the health department has found no evidence that contaminated food has reached other restaurants or stores. Of particular interest to state and federal investigators are prepackaged supplies of Roma tomatoes and lettuce, which are used by store workers to assemble sandwiches and salads in store delicatessens, because the strain of salmonella causing the outbreak is often linked to produce. Chairman Steve Sheetz, who spent much of yesterday visiting and eating in his Altoona-based company's stores in an effort to maintain confidence among customers and employees, said he believes that tomatoes, not lettuce, are to blame. Although his chain replaced supplies of both tomatoes and lettuce this week, Sheetz noted that past outbreaks caused by the salmonella Javiana strain have been linked to Roma tomatoes. \"I do, obviously, feel comfortable eating at Sheetz and I hope they do, too.\" Sheetz Inc.'s previous produce supplier, Coronet Foods of Wheeling, W.Va., also said it has stopped buying and processing Roma tomatoes and has quarantined its remaining supply while it conducts its own investigation. Now that the probable source of the outbreak has been identified, however, McGarvey said health officials believe it will ebb. In 1995, roughly 300 Pennsylvanians were sickened in a salmonella outbreak from contaminated bologna, said health department spokeswoman Jessica Seiders."
<https://about-salmonella.com/salmonella_outbreaks/news/salmonella-cases-increase>