Food Safety Alert

FOOD SAFETY ALERT

The outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pre-Cut Melons

ttps://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/carrau-04-19/index.htmlCDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Carrau infections linked to pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC.

At A Glance:

Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled pre-cut melon and fruit medley products produced by Caito Foods LLC and sold under several brands and labels.

On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods LLC 

Recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons supplied at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.

Recalled pre-cut melons were packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers. The products were distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

These products were sold at Kroger under the Renaissance Food Group label and the Boar’s Head private label; at Target under the Garden Highway Label; at Trader Joe’s under the Trader Joe’s label; at Walmart under a Freshness Guaranteed label; and at Amazon/Whole Foods under the Whole Foods Market label.

Check FDA’s website for a full list of where recalled products were sold. If you cannot determine if any pre-cut melon you purchased was produced by Caito Foods LLC, don’t eat it and throw it away.

Check your fridge and freezer for recalled products and throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Follow these steps to clean your fridge lif you had any recalled product.

Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from consuming pre-cut melon.

  • Most people infected with Salmonella develop the following signs and symptoms 12 to 72 hours after eating a contaminated product:
    • Diarrhea
    • Fever
    • Abdominal cramps

 

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Latest Outbreak Information

  • A total of 117 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Carrau have been reported from 10 states.
    • Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 4, 2019 to April 8, 2019.
    • 32 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
    • Most of the ill people are adults over the age of 50 years.
  • Epidemiologic and traceback evidence https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/investigating-outbreaks/index.html indicates that pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC is the likely source of this outbreak.
  • On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods LLC recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.
  • This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

Investigation of the Outbreak

Epidemiologic and traceback evidence https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/investigating-outbreaks/index.html indicate that pre-cut melon supplied by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Ind. is the likely source of this multistate outbreak.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other Exposures  https://www.cdc.gov/features/solvingoutbreaks/index.htmlin the week before they became ill. Forty-six (73%) of 63 people interviewed reported eating pre-cut melons purchased at grocery stores, including pre-cut cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, or a fruit salad mix or fruit tray with melon. Five additional people reported eating pre-cut melon outside the home.

Information collected from stores where ill people shopped indicates that Caito Foods LLC supplied pre-cut melon to these stores. On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods, Inc. recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.

This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

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