Salmonella find triggers cantaloupe recall
Salmonella find triggers cantaloupe recall
Eagle Produce LP in Scottsdale, AZ -- a division of Scottsdale, AZ-based Martori Farms -- has recalled 685 cases of cantaloupe because it had the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
In the Martori situation, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration determined that some raw cantaloupe tested positive for Salmonella on the cantaloupe skin. Martori and the FDA issued a joint press release July 8 that the cantaloupe was possibly distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin between June 27 and June 29. The release said product labeling on the cardboard box's front panel reads in part: "Product of U.S.A."
As of July 13, there had been no reports of illness stemming from the problem. There is an investigation underway by FDA, Martori Farms and Fort Worth, TX-based OBIM Fresh-Cut Fruit Co. -- an affiliated producer of fresh-cut fruit for Irwindale, CA-based Ready Pac -- to determine how the contamination originated and the potential health risk.
Paul Fleming, vice president of marketing and business development for Martori Farms, told The Produce News July 13 that Martori does not "believe that any of the product is still in the system -- we do not believe there is a risk.
Martori "has ceased the production and distribution of the product in question, Mr. Fleming said, adding that the company meets or exceeds all government standards for testing raw cantaloupes and is inspected by both third-party auditors and the USDA.
He said the incident "clearly demonstrated that trace back-trace forward and the recall system worked. Martori is satisfied with its response both in timeliness and extent of its efforts to sound the alert to a potential threat, Mr. Fleming said, adding that this opinion "is shared by our customers and industry peers.
Steve Patricio, chairman of the California Cantaloupe Board and president of Westside Produce, questioned whether any of the Martori cantaloupes were at risk at all. He told The Produce News July 13 that the Salmonella detected by the FDA in the Martori situation likely wouldn't have affected anyone eating the infected fruit.
"The FDA has even acknowledged their 'false positives' -- principally with Salmonella, in the past, Mr. Patricio said, adding that there is a decay process that can mimic Salmonella.
He said that in conjunction with researchers at the University of California at Davis, past attempts to inject a Salmonella serum into Western melons over a period of months resulted in the inability to penetrate the rind with the serum. Therefore, if the meat of the fruit isn't infected, then washing the fruit with clean, potable water should eliminate any threat.
Mr. Patricio said that in more than 30 years, there has never been an association with any illness with Western melons, and he distinguished Western-grown cantaloupes from cantaloupes grown anywhere else in the United States or beyond U.S. borders.
Mr. Fleming stressed that consumers "should always wash fruits and vegetables prior to consuming.
Mr. Fleming said that FDA determined only one positive test result out of multiple composite samples, adding that he didn't know the number of cantaloupes FDA determined to be infected.
OBIM was notified by Martori Farms of the risk of contamination by Salmonella and announced a one-time recall July 8 of various fresh-cut cantaloupe items.
Ready Pac said in a press release that the items -- packaged in sealed, clear-plastic containers ranging in size from six ounces to five pounds -- are sold under both the "OBIM and "Ready Pac brand names in retail stores in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
The recall involves 13 products in a variety of sizes. Steve Dickstein, marketing director for Ready Pac, told The Produce News July 12 that as soon as Ready Pac was alerted to the situation, the company "did a recall and retrieve out of customers' warehouses and the distribution pipeline, and isolated all possible production of the entire truckload. The company also issued press releases in all areas affected "by customers that could potentially get the product, he said.
"We're trying to take every possible precaution, Mr. Dickstein said. The OBIM and Ready Pac items subject to the recall carry "best before dates of July 17 or July 18. Consumers can return them to the stores where they bought them for a full refund. Preparation for sale of the fresh-cut fruit involves "extensive exterior washing, peeling and cleaning, the Ready Pac release said.
In the Martori situation, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration determined that some raw cantaloupe tested positive for Salmonella on the cantaloupe skin. Martori and the FDA issued a joint press release July 8 that the cantaloupe was possibly distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin between June 27 and June 29. The release said product labeling on the cardboard box's front panel reads in part: "Product of U.S.A."
As of July 13, there had been no reports of illness stemming from the problem. There is an investigation underway by FDA, Martori Farms and Fort Worth, TX-based OBIM Fresh-Cut Fruit Co. -- an affiliated producer of fresh-cut fruit for Irwindale, CA-based Ready Pac -- to determine how the contamination originated and the potential health risk.
Paul Fleming, vice president of marketing and business development for Martori Farms, told The Produce News July 13 that Martori does not "believe that any of the product is still in the system -- we do not believe there is a risk.
Martori "has ceased the production and distribution of the product in question, Mr. Fleming said, adding that the company meets or exceeds all government standards for testing raw cantaloupes and is inspected by both third-party auditors and the USDA.
He said the incident "clearly demonstrated that trace back-trace forward and the recall system worked. Martori is satisfied with its response both in timeliness and extent of its efforts to sound the alert to a potential threat, Mr. Fleming said, adding that this opinion "is shared by our customers and industry peers.
Steve Patricio, chairman of the California Cantaloupe Board and president of Westside Produce, questioned whether any of the Martori cantaloupes were at risk at all. He told The Produce News July 13 that the Salmonella detected by the FDA in the Martori situation likely wouldn't have affected anyone eating the infected fruit.
"The FDA has even acknowledged their 'false positives' -- principally with Salmonella, in the past, Mr. Patricio said, adding that there is a decay process that can mimic Salmonella.
He said that in conjunction with researchers at the University of California at Davis, past attempts to inject a Salmonella serum into Western melons over a period of months resulted in the inability to penetrate the rind with the serum. Therefore, if the meat of the fruit isn't infected, then washing the fruit with clean, potable water should eliminate any threat.
Mr. Patricio said that in more than 30 years, there has never been an association with any illness with Western melons, and he distinguished Western-grown cantaloupes from cantaloupes grown anywhere else in the United States or beyond U.S. borders.
Mr. Fleming stressed that consumers "should always wash fruits and vegetables prior to consuming.
Mr. Fleming said that FDA determined only one positive test result out of multiple composite samples, adding that he didn't know the number of cantaloupes FDA determined to be infected.
OBIM was notified by Martori Farms of the risk of contamination by Salmonella and announced a one-time recall July 8 of various fresh-cut cantaloupe items.
Ready Pac said in a press release that the items -- packaged in sealed, clear-plastic containers ranging in size from six ounces to five pounds -- are sold under both the "OBIM and "Ready Pac brand names in retail stores in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
The recall involves 13 products in a variety of sizes. Steve Dickstein, marketing director for Ready Pac, told The Produce News July 12 that as soon as Ready Pac was alerted to the situation, the company "did a recall and retrieve out of customers' warehouses and the distribution pipeline, and isolated all possible production of the entire truckload. The company also issued press releases in all areas affected "by customers that could potentially get the product, he said.
"We're trying to take every possible precaution, Mr. Dickstein said. The OBIM and Ready Pac items subject to the recall carry "best before dates of July 17 or July 18. Consumers can return them to the stores where they bought them for a full refund. Preparation for sale of the fresh-cut fruit involves "extensive exterior washing, peeling and cleaning, the Ready Pac release said.
