SEATTLE — Food safety attorney William Marler has called for import restrictions on Mexican cantaloupe in response to a recent Salmonella outbreak.
“Since last week, the U.S. and Canadian health officials reported 162 people with Salmonella, including 62 hospitalized with three deaths, all linked to the consumption of cantaloupe imported from Mexico,” said Marler. “In the U.S., the FDA should use its authority under the Food Safety Modernization Act to stop Mexican cantaloupe imports until the root cause of the outbreak has been determined.”
As of Nov. 30, 117 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 34 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Illnesses started on dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14. Of 103 people with information available, 61 have been hospitalized. Two deaths have been reported in Minnesota.
In Canada, as of Dec. 1, there have been 66 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella in six provinces. Individuals became sick between mid-October and mid-November. Nineteen individuals have been hospitalized, and one death has been reported.
Whole fresh cantaloupes with a label on the cantaloupe that says “Malichita” or “Rudy,” “4050,” and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique” have been recalled. Retailers and wholesalers would have received recalled whole melons from Crown Jewels Produce in boxes labeled “Malachita/Z Farms” or from Sofia Produce doing business as TruFresh in boxes labeled “Malichita” or “Rudy.” Additional secondary recalls have been issued for products that were made using recalled cantaloupes and for produce items that were processed alongside recalled cantaloupes.