Caito Foods Melon Salmonella Outbreak: Two Minnesota Children Acquire Salmonella
A salmonella outbreak attributed to pre-cut melons produced by Caito Foods has affected three people in Minnesota, two of whom are children living in the same household. The third person to become ill after eating the contaminated melons is an unidentified adult. The three people became ill in March.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and several other states are investigating the
salmonella outbreak
. The CDC and FDA have identified a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Carrau infections linked to consumption of pre-cut melon supplied by Caito Foods, LLC, of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The three people in Minnesota who became ill had eaten pre-cut cantaloupe purchased from one Trader Joe’s store. That cantaloupe was part of the recall initiated by Caito Foods in several states, including Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Health officials expect the number of illnesses, currently at 93, to increase as more cases are reported. It typically takes 2-3 weeks for reports of illnesses to be recorded after the victim seeks medical help.
Caito Foods has recalled fresh cut watermelon, fresh cut honeydew melon, fresh cut cantaloupe, and fresh cut mixed fruit containing one of these melons, produced at the Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, because of their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Carrau.
