What to Know
- Caito Foods recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and fruit medleys containing at least one of those melons
- A salmonella outbreak was linked to the products
- At least 60 people in five states have been sickened
Health officials say a salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melon has sickened 60 people in five Midwestern states and have now expanded a recall that originally only concerned fruit bought at Walmart.
Will County Health Department Environmental Health Director Tom Casey said there are two sources of information that can help consumers determine if they have pre-cut melons that may be dangerous.
“If you still have the receipt, check the date of your purchase,” Casey said. “Then, simply look at the label and see if it lists Caito Foods as the distributor.”
If you have already discarded the label and receipt and have pre-cut melons in your refrigerator, Casey said you should get rid of the product immediately as a precaution.
“As we always say, ‘when in doubt, throw it out,’” he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Caito Foods LLC on Friday recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and fruit medleys containing at least one of those melons that were produced at its facility in Indianapolis.
Local
Although the original report first connected the melons to have been purchased from Walmart, it is recommended that all retailers and consumers discard any pre-cut melon products shipped from Caito Foods between April 17 and June 7, the Food and Drug Administration said in a press release Monday.
The CDC said the five states where people were sickened are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. The CDC says the fruit was also distributed to stores in Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina. It was sold in clear plastic clamshell containers at Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Payless, Owen's, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Walmart and Whole Foods/Amazon.
Officials say people should throw away or return recalled products.
The CDC says 31 of the people sickened have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths reported. Those sickened often develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food. The illness often lasts 4 to 7 days.
