Trader Joe's, Kroger, & Sprouts Are Recalling 20 Fruit Products Due to Salmonella
A major cantaloupe recall first announced earlier this month has been affecting grocery chains across the country—and three more retailers were just added to the list of businesses affected by the food safety issue.
GHGA, LLC issued a recall on Nov. 29 for a whopping 20 fresh-cut fruit products sold at Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Sprouts Farmers Market. The reason? Those products contain cantaloupe that may be contaminated with salmonella.
The affected items range from cantaloupe chunks to fruit medleys and fruit trays that contain the melon. The recall announcement noted that all of the recalled products have already expired, but some people may have frozen them to use at a later date. While no illnesses have been linked to the GHGA products, the company still urged customers to either discard them or return them immediately.
With those 20 fruit products, only packages with specific lot codes and expiration dates are subject to the recall. The affected lot codes and expiration dates are all included in the full list of recalled items posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.
This new recall follows up another major recall issued on Nov. 8 by Sofia Produce, LLC, a supplier that also does business under the name Trufresh. The recall initially only affected fresh cantaloupe products with the "Malichita" label that were distributed in 11 states. But since then, it has been expanded to include many other products hat also contain that potentially contaminated cantaloupe sold by a variety of retailers.
Earlier this week, for example, the convenience store chain Kwik Trip announced that it was recalling several varieties of fresh-cut fruit products that contain potentially tainted cantaloupe from Trufresh. Aldi also issued a recall on Nov. 14 for several cantaloupe and pineapple products—again due to salmonella. Several other companies—including Crown Jewel Produce Company and Pacific Trellis Fruit—have also recalled cantaloupe products this month for the exact same reason.
These major recalls have been taking place amid an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe that has killed two people and sickened 99, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Salmonella are bacteria that can sicken humans who consume contaminated food or are exposed to infected animals or environments. Symptoms typically show up between six hours and six days after infection and often include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. The bacteria can also cause serious and even fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
While most people recover from salmonella infections within four to seven days without antibiotics, the CDC urged anyone experiencing severe salmonella symptoms to contact their healthcare provider.