Cut Melon Cited in Salmonella Outbreak

A salmonella outbreak that spread to 70 cases across seven states has been tied to fruit salad mixes that include pre-cut melons, according to the Food and Drug Administration. At least 34 people have been hospitalized due to the illness, and the FDA is advising consumers to avoid recalled fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe, as well as fruit medley products containing any of these melons.

Scope of the Salmonella Outbreak

The pre-cut melon suspected of causing the salmonella outbreak were sold across 22 states nationwide:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Georgia
4. Illinois
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
7. Kansas
8. Kentucky
9. Maryland
10. Michigan
11. Minnesota
12. Missouri
13. Nebraska
14. North Carolina
15. North Dakota
16. Ohio
17. Pennsylvania
18. South Dakota
19. Tennessee
20. Virginia
21. West Virginia and
22. Wisconsin

And the affected fruit found its way into Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Payless, Owen's, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods/Amazon. Caito Foods, who initially packaged the melon voluntarily recalled its fruit salad mixes containing pre-cut melons. The FDA says it's been working with the Centers for Disease Control and state agencies to trace the pre-cut melons to hopefully identify the source and the route of the contamination.

FDA and Info

You can see a complete list of recalled products on the FDA's data sheet, along with where the possibly tainted fruit was sold. The FDA is advising consumers to discard any recalled products and, if consumers experience symptoms of salmonella infection, to contact their health care provider immediately.

Related Resources:

• Pre-Cut Melon in 10 More States Linked to Salmonella Outbreak (Fortune)
• Salmonella-Infected Cucumbers Continue Causing Illness Around the Country (FindLaw's Common Law)
• Burrito Delight Sued Over Salmonella Outbreak (FindLaw's Common Law)
• Top 10 Most Commonly Recalled Foods (FindLaw's Common Law)