WASHINGTON — Officials are warning people not to eat any cantaloupe, including pre-cut cantaloupe and products that include it, if they do not know the source of their fruit and whether it is included in a nationwide recall.
Recalls have expanded to include more products as more people have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe, according to the FDA and CDC.
More than 200 people across 38 states have gotten sick from salmonella poisoning linked to both whole and pre-cut cantaloupe. Two people in Minnesota and one in Oregon have died.
The illnesses are severe, with more than half of infected people hospitalized, including residents of long-term care centers and children in daycare, the CDC said.
Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within six hour to six days after consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. Illnesses typically last four to seven days. Vulnerable people, including children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems may develop severe illnesses that require medical care or hospitalization.
The number of people sickened is likely much higher than what's been reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known illnesses. It typically takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Health officials say anyone who bought the recalled fruits should throw them away and wash surfaces that touched them with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher.
Recalled products
Whole cantaloupe
- Whole fresh cantaloupes with a label on the cantaloupe that says “Malichita” or “Rudy,” “4050”, and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique."
- Whole melons distributed to wholesalers and retailers from Crown Jewels Produce in boxes labeled “Malichita/Z Farms” or from Sofia Produce doing business as TruFresh in boxes labeled “Malichita” or “Rudy,” or from Pacific Trellis in corrugated cartons.
Pre-cut cantaloupe
- ALDI cantaloupe, cut cantaloupe, and pineapple spears in clamshell packaging. Best-by dates between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31. Sold in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
- Vinyard cantaloupe chunks and cubes, fruit mixes, melon medleys, and fruit cups containing cantaloupe. Most have a “Vinyard” label, and some have a red label that says “Fresh." Sold between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10 in Oklahoma stores.
- Freshness Guaranteed (sold at some Walmart stores) seasonal blend, melon trio, melon mix, fruit blend, fruit bowl, seasonal fruit tray, fruit mix, and cantaloupe chunks; and RaceTrac fruit medley sold in clear square or round plastic containers. Recalled products were sold at select retail stores in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Texas and Louisiana.
- KwikTrip 6-oz mixed fruit cup, 6-oz cantaloupe cup, and 16-oz fruit tray distributed to Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Stop-N-Go, Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery, and Tobacco Outlet Plus convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois and South Dakota.
- Bix Produce 5.75-oz Created Fresh! cantaloupe Grab N’ Go fruit cups, Created Fresh! Grab N’ Go mixed fruit cups, and Jack & Olive mixed fruit cups sold in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
- GHGA pre-cut products containing cantaloupe branded as Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, and unbranded products sold at Kroger grocery stores. Recalled products were distributed to Kroger stores in Alabama and Georgia, Sprout’s Farmers Market stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and Trader Joe’s stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.