Salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melon in eight states

Have you bought pre-cut fruit lately? If so, it’s time to check your refrigerator. An outbreak of Salmonella Adelaide that has sickened at least 60 people has triggered a recall of fresh-cut melon and other fruit products in eight states.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report linked the outbreak to pre-cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, and fruit-medley products containing those melons, produced by a Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Recalled products were distributed in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Michigan, according to the report. In Michigan, 32 people became sick after eating the fruit. Thirty-one people have been hospitalized.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising people not to consume the fruit, which was packaged in “clear, plastic clamshell containers and distributed to Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Payless, Owen’s, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods/Amazon.”

The company has issued a recall to retailers, but, “Because it is possible that products shipped between April 17 and June 7, 2018 could still be on store shelves, this recall extends to both retailers and consumers,” Caito said in a statement.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that causes fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea between 12 and 72 hours after infection, according to the CDC. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover on their own, but it can be so severe that people need to be hospitalized — and it can even be deadly.

If you’ve bought pre-cut fruit, check the labels, and don’t take any chances. See the FDA website for product descriptions and UPC codes for the recalled items.

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