A voluntary recall of certain pre-cut melon has been ordered after 93 people became infected with salmonella in nine states, health officials said.
Indianapolis-based Caito Foods LLC on Friday advised the public to throw away any of its products that contain watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe. The company’s recall notice follows health officials connecting the fruits to a strain of salmonella. The outbreak remains under investigation.
The company issued a similar recall last June after another outbreak sickened 60 people in five states. A company spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
The latest fruit products recalled were packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers and distributed by retailers including Trader Joes, Kroger, Target, Walmart and Amazon/Whole Foods, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
The full list of products and retailers can be seen here.
As of Friday night, illnesses linked to the fruit have been reported in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Of those sickened, 23 people have been hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The fruit products were distributed in the following 16 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“Because it is possible that products could still be on store shelves, this recall extends to both retailers and consumers,” the FDA said in a release. “Consumers should not consume the product and should promptly dispose of any remaining product.”
If the products’ origin is not known, the public is advised to throw it out to be safe.
The span of reported illnesses covered March 4-31. Additional illnesses linked to the fruit may not yet have been reported, the CDC said.
Most people who become infected with salmonella will develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after becoming exposed to the bacteria. The illness typically lasts four to seven days and in most cases does not require treatment. Young children and adults older than 65 years are more likely to have a severe illness because of weakened immune systems.