LEWISTON – With salmonella cases reported in 16 states, local restaurants are throwing out their tomatoes just to be safe, even though no salmonella has been reported north of Connecticut.

“It’s out of my control,” said Jeff Martin, a manager at Amato’s in Auburn. “If I had it my way, I’d be doing Maine tomatoes pretty much.” Martin said Irving, where the Auburn Amato’s is located, has ordered the restaurant not to serve the kinds of tomatoes that have been connected to the 145 salmonella cases reported since April. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ruled out the possibility of Maine-grown tomatoes as a source of the outbreak.

“People have been pretty cool about it,” Martin said, adding that only one customer turned away because tomatoes weren’t available. He said the store will get cherry tomatoes for salads on Tuesday.

Cherry and grape tomatoes, along with tomatoes sold with the vines attached, are safe to eat, according to the FDA. The source of the salmonella outbreak hasn’t been found, but those grown in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia have been deemed safe, as are tomatoes grown in Belgium, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

Still, many aren’t taking chances. McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said Monday that the chain has stopped serving sliced tomatoes in the United States as a precaution until the source of the salmonella is known. The chain is still serving grape tomatoes in its salads.

In April, an uncommon strain called Salmonella serotype Saintpaul began showing up in tomatoes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 people have been hospitalized for salmonella since the outbreak, but no deaths have been reported in connection.

Symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, starting 12 to 72 hours after infection. According to the FDA, infection may be more serious or fatal in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems.

The FDA is investigating the outbreak, trying to trace back the disease to a common source. In the meantime, the FDA recommends consumers check the source of tomatoes they buy. Cooking tomatoes isn’t enough to kill the infection; any tomatoes not deemed safe should not be eaten.

The FDA has also advised that raw red tomatoes are used in products like salsa and guacamole. Restaurants and grocery stores have been advised not to offer red plum, roma or red tomatoes not originating from the states and countries cleared as possible sources of the disease.