SALT LAKE CITY — A salmonella outbreak linked to eating cantaloupe has infected hundreds of people across the country, with a handful here in the state of Utah.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been 302 confirmed salmonella illnesses. There have been 129 hospitalizations and four deaths. Three of the deaths happened in Minnesota, and one was in Oregon.
The CDC's outbreak map shows that 11 Utahns are among the 302 infections. It's not known whether any were hospitalized.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people or those with weakened immune systems, the Food and Drug Administration said. Symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Although there are several confirmed illnesses in Utah connected to this outbreak, none of the listed retailers in the recalls are in Utah. Below is the latest list (Dec. 15) of recalled cantaloupe brands from the FDA's website:
Recalled whole cantaloupe from the following brands:
- Whole fresh cantaloupes with a label on the cantaloupe that says “Malichita” or “Rudy”, “4050”, and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique”.
- Retailers and wholesalers would have received recalled whole melons from Sofia Produce doing business as TruFresh in boxes labeled “Malichita” or “Rudy”, or from Crown Jewels Produce in boxes labeled “Malichita/Z Farms”, or from Pacific Trellis in corrugated cartons with certain lot codes.
Recalled pre-cut cantaloupe and products containing pre-cut cantaloupes (these products are made from recalled whole cantaloupes):
- ALDIExternal Link Disclaimer cantaloupe, cut cantaloupe, and pineapple spears in clamshell packaging with Best-by dates between October 27 and October 31 and sold in IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, and WI.
- Vinyard cantaloupe chunks and cubes, fruit mixes, melon medleys, and fruit cups containing cantaloupe. Most have a “Vinyard” label, and some have a red label with “Fresh” sold between October 30 and November 10 in Oklahoma stores.
- Freshness Guaranteed (sold at select WalmartExternal Link Disclaimer stores) seasonal blend, melon trio, melon mix, fruit blend, fruit bowl, seasonal fruit tray, fruit mix, and cantaloupe chunks; and RaceTrac fruit medley sold in clear square or round plastic containers. Recalled products were sold at select retail stores in IN, MI, OH, KY, NC, TN, VA, IL, TX, and LA (see recall announcement for lot codes and “best by” dates).
- KwikTrip 6-oz mixed fruit cup, 6-oz cantaloupe cup, and 16-oz fruit tray distributed to Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Stop-N-Go, Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery, and Tobacco Outlet Plus convenience stores in WI, MN, IA, MI, IL, and SD.
- Bix Produce 5.75-oz Created Fresh! cantaloupe Grab N’ Go fruit cups, Created Fresh! Grab N’ Go mixed fruit cups, and Jack & Olive mixed fruit cups sold in MN, ND, SD, and WI.
- GHGA pre-cut products containing cantaloupe branded as Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joes, and unbranded products sold at Kroger. Recalled products were distributed to Kroger stores in AL and GA, Sprout’s Farmers Market stores in AL, GA, NC, and SC, and Trader Joe’s stores in AL, FL, GA, SC, and TN (see recall for lot codes and “sell-by” dates).
- Cut Fruit Express Caribou Coffee Fruit Mix CHPG 6.5oz and Cut Fruit Express-brand of 6.5oz, 15oz, 16oz, 32oz packages of Fruit Mix containing cantaloupes. This recall also includes food service packages of cantaloupe chunks and fruit mixes containing cantaloupe.
- TGD Cuts, LLC fresh-cut fruit cup, clamshell and tray products containing cantaloupe.
- Stop & ShopExternal Link Disclaimer Truefresh Cantaloupe that was purchased between Oct. 23 – Nov. 11, 2023 in CT, NJ, and NY.
Meanwhile, Quaker has recalled dozens of granola products due to potential salmonella contamination. However, there are not any reported outbreaks linked to these products at this time. The full list of recalled products can be found HERE.
