Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Malichita Whole Cantaloupe recall: Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The hazard: Salmonella contamination

This recall is about Salmonella, so the risk is not only in eating the product — it is in everything the package touched on the way to your kitchen.

What the notice says: Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States. It spreads easily from a contaminated product to hands, taps, cloths and other food in the same kitchen.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

The CDC describes salmonellosis as diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure and last about four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. Children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill. Seek care for diarrhoea with a high fever, bloody stools, vomiting that stops you keeping liquids down, diarrhoea lasting more than three days, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, a dry mouth or dizziness when standing.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
December 1, 2023
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Malichita
Product type
Other food products
Distribution
California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin
Reports of harm
This is an ongoing outbreak, and several illnesses have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and Canada.

Products covered by this recall

Whole Cantaloupe

What the company announced

The company has issued a correction to the previous announcement.

Los Angeles, CA, December 1, 2023… Pacific Trellis Fruit, LLC is initiating a voluntary recall of 4,872 cases of Malichita brand whole cantaloupe. The voluntary recall is due to the FDAs ongoing investigation of an outbreak involving Malichita brand cantaloupe. The cantaloupes have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may experience fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), and abdominal pain. In rare cases the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The products were distributed between October 18th - 26th in California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, and Canada and sold in various retail supermarkets. The whole cantaloupe is packed in corrugated cartons, the price look-up sticker is labeled “Malichita.”

  • Brand: Malichita · Item Description: Whole Cantaloupe · PLU: 4050 · Lot Code: 21651
  • Brand: Malichita · Item Description: Whole Cantaloupe · PLU: 4050 · Lot Code: 21699
  • Brand: Malichita · Item Description: Whole Cantaloupe · PLU: 4050 · Lot Code: 21775
  • Brand: Malichita · Item Description: Whole Cantaloupe · PLU: 4050 · Lot Code: 21787
  • Brand: Malichita · Item Description: Whole Cantaloupe · PLU: 4050 · Lot Code: 21870

This is an ongoing outbreak, and several illnesses have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and Canada. To date, Pacific Trellis Fruit has not received any reports of illness.

Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them. Consumers may contact Pacific Trellis Fruit for further information at 323-859-9600 Monday - Friday 9AM – 5PM PST. Consumers with concerns about an illness from consumption of this product should contact a health care provider.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 5 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Lot or batch code

Usually ink-stamped near the seam, the cap or the bottom of the pack.

  • 21651
  • 21699
  • 21775
  • 21787
  • 21870

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Salmonella

Malichita — This recall is about Salmonella, so the risk is not only in eating the product — it is in everything the package touched on the way to your kitchen.

  1. Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.
  2. Bag it and bin it, or take it back to the store — do not feed it to pets or livestock either.
  3. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the pack, and wash any dish, utensil or surface it touched in hot soapy water.
  4. If you repackaged or froze it, check the freezer too. Salmonella is not killed by freezing.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Remedy named in the notice: Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them.

Company contact: Pacific Trellis Fruit, LLC. — Consumers: Pacific Trellis Fruit, 323-859-9600

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Malichita other food products recalled?

Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: lot code 21651, 21699, 21775. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin.

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