A melon recall has been issued in eight states as three types of pre-cut melons may have traces of salmonella.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint announcement that is asking people to check their fridges for pre-cut melon that could be connected to a salmonella outbreak.
The two agencies are investigating the source of the salmonella outbreak, which has led to at least 60 illnesses and 31 hospitalizations through five states. The investigation discovered that Caito Foods’ Indianapolis facility is likely to be the source of the outbreak.
The company has responded by issuing a voluntary recall on fresh-cut packages of “watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and fresh-cut mixed fruit containing one of these melons.” The melon recall affects eight states as these were distributed to stores in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, with 32 of the 60 reported cases of illness taking place in Michigan.
The melon is being sold in most major grocery stores and is being packaged in clear plastic clamshell containers. The agencies recommend that people who have purchased pre-cut cantaloupe should not eat it at picnics or elsewhere as they can throw out the product or return it to the store in which they bought it for a full refund.
