Aldi’s and Meijer Cantaloupe Recall Issued Due to Salmonella

Cantaloupes sent to several Aldi’s and Meijer’s stores in the Midwest have been recalled due to the possibility of salmonella contamination, which can lead to potentially serious cases of food poisoning.

The Aldi’s and Meijer cantaloupe recall was announced after FDA investigators found signs of contamination at Melon Acres field where the cantaloupes were grown. The cantaloupes were shipped to an Aldi’s in Greenwood, Indiana, and Meijer stores in Tipp City, Ohio, as well as Lansing and Newport, Michigan.

Although there have been no reported illnesses to date from the contaminated fruit, salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning infections.

For most healthy adults the salmonella infection symptoms typically resolve after a few days or weeks, but 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 recalled cantaloupes have been identified as lot 41 MG 10, bin numbers 4753-4960. They were shipped on August 13 and August 14, 2009. Melon Acres has halted melon shipments from the field where the cantaloupes were grown until the source of the contamination has been identified.

The FDA stated in its recall notice that a third-party food safety auditing firm called Primus Labs had inspected Melon Acres’ fields and facilities for food safety practices on August 7. The firm gave Melon Acres’ fields and facilities grades of excellent and good, respectively.

This is at least the second cantaloupe recall this year. In May, a produce supplier for Wal-Mart had to recall an entire lot from Wal-Mart Supercenter Stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Those cantaloupes were also recalled due to the potential for salmonella poisoning.