Papayas Recall Issued After Multistate Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak

About 100 people in 23 states have contracted salmonella food poisoning that health officials believe are tied to contaminated papayas from Agromod Produce, Inc., which sells the fruit under the Blondie, Yaya, Mañanita and Tastylicious labels. 

An Agromod papaya recall was announced on July 23 in the United States and Canada after 97 salmonella food poisoning cases this year were traced back to the papayas.

The illnesses have include 10 hospitalizations and have hit residents of 23 different states. Officials from the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the illnesses appear to all have come from the same strain of Salmonella Agona, which has been found in samples of the papayas.

Federal health officials believe the illnesses began as early as January, but they were not linked until a recent sampling by the FDA found the same strain of salmonella in papayas tested from Agromod Produce Inc. in McAllen, Texas, and in samples crossing the U.S. border from Mexico, where the fruit originates. The FDA also stated that ten other samples of papayas they tested during the investigation were contaminated with other strains of salmonella. Distribution of the papayas has been suspended while health officials continue their investigation.

The papaya recall affects all Blondie, Yaya, Mañanita and Tastylicious papayas sold before July 23, 2011. All of the affected fruit will carry the PLU number 4395 and were imported from Mexico. A full description of each brand’s sticker is in the Agromod press release.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning. For most healthy adults, symptoms of food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.

The FDA and Agromod are currently working together to ensure that the papayas are out of circulation and to determine how the imported fruit got contaminated. Agromod recommends that any consumers who have recalled papayas return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.