FDA Home Page | Search FDA Site | FDA A-Z Index | Contact FDA
Consumer Update |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a growing and packing company in Honduras. If so, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes.
Based on current information, fruit from this company appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada.
To date, FDA has received reports of 50 illnesses in 16 states and nine illnesses in Canada linked to eating cantaloupes. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. No deaths have been reported; however, 14 people have been hospitalized.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. In individuals with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten cantaloupe and experienced any of these symptoms should contact their health care professional.
To reduce the risk of getting Salmonella or other foodborne illnesses from cantaloupes:
Limited Recall of Cantaloupe (Due to Salmonella)
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/cantaloupe.html
Produce safety
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodsafe.html
Press Release
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01808.html
Import Alert
http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia2202.html
Date Posted: March 22, 2008