Cantaloupe salmonella recall

A cantaloupe recall originally affecting nearly a dozen states has now expanded to include additional ones, including Indiana.

On Nov. 9, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert about salmonella found in cantaloupe and cantaloupe products in at least ten states.

This week, the agency added several states to the recall along with a list of products made from the recalled cantaloupe. As of Nov. 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 117 cases in 34 states linked to the fruit.

The CDC said about half of the people who reported getting sick ended up in the hospital. The agency has reported two deaths since starting its investigation on Nov. 17.

Canadian health authorities are also looking into the issue. More than 60 cases have been confirmed there, according to the Public Health Agency.

Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, people over 65 and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe symptoms, according to the CDC.

The recall involves whole fresh cantaloupes with a labels saying “Malichita” or “Rudy,” “4050,” and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique.”

Stores would have received recalled whole melons from Crown Jewels Produce in boxes labeled “Malichita/Z Farms” or from Sofia Produce doing business as TruFresh in boxes labeled “Malichita” or “Rudy,” or from Pacific Trellis in corrugated cartons with certain lot codes.

Specific to Indiana, the recall includes cantaloupe, pre-cut cantaloupe products and pineapple spears sold in clamshell packages at Aldi stores with “best by” dates between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31  

Also sold at some Indiana stores were Freshness Guaranteed brand (sold at select Walmart locations) seasonal blend, melon trio, melon mix, fruit blend, fruit bowl, seasonal fruit tray, fruit mix, and cantaloupe chunks; and RaceTrac fruit medley found in clear square or round plastic containers. “Best by” dates ranged between Nov. 7 and Nov. 10, according to the FDA.

The CDC said people should not eat pre-cut cantaloupe if they know the Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used. Anyone unaware if their cantaloupe is part of the recalled lot should toss it out.

Here are the affected states:

1. Alaska
2. Arkansas
3. Arizona
4. California
5. Colorado
6. Georgia
7. Iowa
8. Illinois
9. Indiana
10. Kansas
11. Kentucky
12. Massachusetts
13. Maryland
14. Michigan
15. Minnesota
16. Missouri
17. Mississippi
18. North Carolina
19. Nebraska
20. New Jersey
21. Nevade
22. New York
23. Ohio
24. Oklahoma
25. Oregon
26. Pennsylvania
27. Rhode Island
28. South Carolina
29. Tennessee
30. Texas
31. Utah
32. Virginia
33. Washington
34. Wisconsin

The FDA compiled a list of affected products. You can learn more about the CDC’s response here.