It’s Tax Day. It’s windy and gross out. But a delicious bowl of fresh, juicy melon might be the perfect antidote. Right? Well, maybe not. We’re here to tell you that a whole lot of fresh cut melons were recalled over the weekend, so make sure you double check the packaging before you dig in.
On Friday, Caito Foods recalled fresh cut watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and mixed fruit medleys containing any of the aforementioned melons after reports surfaced alerting to a potential salmonella carrau contamination.
Caito Foods’ fresh cut melon products come in generic clam-shell plastic containers with basic white labels that read, "by Caito Foods." The recall announcement gives more detail, including the exact sell-by dates and UPC codes affected. All of this information should also be included on the packaging. The packages in question were sold at Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods. The recall affects Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Center for Disease Control linked 93 illnesses to this strain of salmonella and Caito Foods has voluntarily moved forward with the recall “out of an abundance of caution.” Symptoms of salmonella exposure may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting when ingested. In the rare case that it finds its way into the bloodstream, it can cause arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis. An infection can be fatal for children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. People are encouraged to throw away any products they find that fit the description.