Del Monte Cantaloupe Recall: Salmonella Contamination

An outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning has led to a recall of nearly 60,000 Del Monte cantaloupes.

The cantaloupe recall was announced on March 22 by the FDA after the agency made an epidemiologic link between the fruit and 12 reported cases of Salmonella Panama.

Nearly 5,000 cartons of the Del Monte Fresh Cantaloupes were distributed in warehouse clubs in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

All of the cantaloupes were grown at a Del Monte Fresh’s Asuncion Mita farm in Guatemala. The company has halted production and distribution of cantaloupes from the farm while it and the FDA hunt for the source of the salmonella contamination.

The recall affects cantaloups that were sold between March 10 and March 21, with lot codes of 02-15-24-10, 02-15-25-10, 02-15-26-10 and 02-15-28-10. Each carton of Del Monte Fresh cantaloupes contains 4 plastic mesh sleeves of 3 cantaloupes with a plastic orange handle.

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 Salmonella Panama strain is known to cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can also sometimes get into the bloodstream and cause arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. 

Consumers in possession of the recalled cantaloupes should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, consumers can call Del Monte Fresh at 1-800-659-6500 or e-mail the company at Contact-US-Executive-Office@freshdelmonte.com.