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Contaminated pre-cut melons cause multistate Salmonella outbreak
A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Carrau infection has been linked to pre-cut melons from Caito Foods.
According to the CDC, there have been 93 reported infections. Although the contaminated products were distributed to 16 states, currently only nine states — Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin — have reported cases. There have been 23 hospitalization but no reported deaths, the CDC said.
Caito Foods has recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe supplied from the company’s facility in Indianapolis. The recall also extended to pre-cut fruit medley products that contained any of the contaminated melons.
“In general, the process of cutting fruit or other produce may provide opportunities for cross-contamination if bacteria come into contact with the produce during preparation or storage,” Karen Neil, MD, MSPH, a medical officer in CDC’s Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, told Infectious Disease News. “Once cut, bacteria may be able to grow on the fruit.”
The CDC noted that the produce has been sold under several brands and labels, and that Caito Foods and its distributor, SpartanNash Company, supply to independent retailers. It recommended that customers look at the label description and brand information to identify who supplied the product, and advised them to throw away any pre-cut melon if they are unable to determine where the fruit was produced.
The agency also urged consumers to check their fridge and freezer, and to throw out or return any of the recalled products. The FDA compiled a full list of establishments where the recalled products were sold:
- Caito Foods Distribution
- Gordon Food Service
- Kroger
- SpartanNash Distribution
- Target
- Trader Joe’s
- Walmart
- Amazon/Whole Foods.
The outbreak investigation is ongoing, and the CDC said it will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
“If consumers choose to eat pre-cut melon that is not part of the recall, they can take several steps to help avoid foodborne illness,” Neil said. “People should purchase only pre-cut melons that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice. The pre-cut melons should be kept refrigerated at 40˚F or colder in a clean container. Care should be taken to avoid cross-contamination by keeping pre-cut melon separated from raw meat, poultry, and seafood and from any kitchen utensils or surfaces used for these foods.” – by Marley Ghizzone
Reference:
CDC. Outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to pre-cut melons. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/carrau-04-19/index.html. Accessed April 15, 2019.
FDA. Caito Foods, LLC voluntarily recalls fresh cut melon product because of possible health risk. https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm635948.htm. Accessed April 15, 2019.
Perspective
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Clinicians have the opportunity, if their patients are diagnosed and contacted by local health officials, to stress how important it is to work with those local officials. Every bit of information they can provide could help solve an outbreak.
People can ask store representatives to be sure they are not buying recalled melons. They do not have to avoid the product; they just need to take a simple precaution to avoid the recalled product. There is information online, specifically on the recalls page at www.fda.gov, to help them identify the recalled product.
The infectious disease practitioner remains the stalwart proponent behind the medical community in terms of promoting the necessary diagnostics for enteric infections and subsequent reporting of positive findings to local/state public health agencies for follow-up. As with many recent foodborne disease investigations, it has been the collaborative efforts of the laboratorians, epidemiologists and regulatory agencies who are able to pinpoint potential vehicles of infection, using enhanced laboratory techniques including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing to pull together clinical, environmental and food isolates crisscrossing state boundaries. Solving and stopping foodborne outbreaks is a team effort that involves many people, from the clinician to experts in food safety at the federal level. Everyone has a role, and when we pull together, we are able to limit illnesses.