FDA Melon Recall Extends to Pennsylvania

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a  recall of fresh-cut melons linked to a salmonella outbreak.  The outbreak began at the end of April and has expanded to include  15 more states in the last two days, including Pennsylvania.

In  Pennsylvania numerous retailers sold the melons that may be affected  including:  Costco, Kroger, Food 4 Less, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Walmart and Whole Foods/Amazon. To-date the  Centers for Disease Control reports that 60 people are sick from tainted melons and 31 people required hospitalization.

The Food and Drug Administration says retailers and wholesale customers should check their inventories to ship dates.  Melons shipped between April 17 and June 7 may  still be in store.

The initial states in the recall were Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. On Thursday the FDA said Pennsylvania was among 15 additional states subject to the fruit recall.

Most people who became ill reported eating cantaloupe, watermelon or a fruit salad mix bought from the grocery stores. The illnesses reported in the outbreak began between April 30 and May 28. No deaths have been reported from the sickness.

Consuming products contaminated with salmonella can result in serious illness, health experts warn. It can also produce serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals infected with salmonella can suffer fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, it can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

For more information visit the FDA website