Cantaloupe Recall and Seedless Watermelon Recall Issued Over Salmonella

This week the FDA has posted notices for two separate fruit recalls that were issued due to the risk of Salmonella contamination, including MelonUp! Large seedless watermelons and Majesty cantaloupes.

The cantaloup recall was issued on November 20, by Five Crowns Marketing, after one lot of the fruit tested positive for Salmonella. The recalled cantaloups were harvested and shipped between November 4 and November 13, sent to wholesalers, retailers and food service operators in Alabama, California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Some of the individual cantaloups contain a “Majesty” sticker, but not all of them. All cartons shipped to sellers contained the “Majesty” label and were identified with lot numbers 198 1 or 198 3.

There have been no reports of food poisoning or salmonella illness received by Five Crowns, and it is believed that the cantaloupes have now passed through the distribution chain.

The watermelon recall was issued on November 22, by Timco Worldwide, for a limited number of their Large Seedless Watermelons due to a risk that they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled watermelon was distributed to grocers, wholesalers and procesors in California and Texas.

The Large Seedless Watermelons contain stickers with the “MelonUp!” label and PLU #4032 and UPC #0 33383 402040 6. Although no reported illenesses have surfaced in connection with this fruit recall either, Timco Worldwide elected to recall the watermelon after routine testing by a distributor revealed the presence of Salmonella bacteria.

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.

Consumers who bought the recalled watermelons are urged to return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers who have recently bought cantaloupes in the affected states are recommended to check with the place of purchase to see if they are affected by the recall. Sellers who bought the cantaloupes should contact Five Crown Marketing.