By Anna Commander
Copyright newsweek
Wholesale Produce Supply, LLC, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is recalling fresh-cut and processed cantaloupe over fears the fruit could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Newsweek reached out to the company via email Monday night for comment.
Why It Matters
Numerous public health alerts and recalls have been initiated this year because of the potential for damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens.
Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine “major” food allergens in the United States are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts.
The alert warns that listeria “can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.”
What To Know
The alert notes that the fresh-cut cantaloupe was sold to distributors in North Dakota, Wisconsin and Nebraska and that they could have further supplied it to other states under “Harvest Cuts” and “Fresh & Finest” brands at grocery stores. The recalled product was sold in plastic clamshell containers under those two labels. The alert also says the fruit was sold in cantaloupe-only products and mixed-fruit containers.
As of Monday, there have been no reported illnesses related to the recall, the alert adds, as it also lists the products being recalled, with corresponding UPC and lot code numbers.
Below is a map of the states affected by the recall: Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota.
What People Are Saying
The alert, in part: “The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the company which revealed that the finished products potentially contained bacteria. Wholesale Produce Supply has suspended production and distribution of the affected lots as the company continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.”
In an email to Newsweek in January, the FDA said: “Most recalls in the U.S. are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer and when a company issues a public warning, typically via news release, to inform the public of a voluntary product recall, the FDA shares that release on our website as a public service.
“The FDA’s role during a voluntary, firm-initiated, recall is to review the recall strategy, evaluate the health hazard presented by the product, monitor the recall, and as appropriate alert the public and other companies in the supply chain about the recall.
“The FDA provides public access to information on recalls by posting a listing of recalls according to their classification in the FDA Enforcement Report, including the specific action taken by the recalling company. The FDA Enforcement Report is designed to provide a public listing of products in the marketplace that are being recalled.”
Additional information on recalls can be found via the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts.
What Happens Next
People who have purchased “Harvest Cuts” or “Fresh & Finest” recalled products are urged to return them to the original place of purchase for a refund, the alert says.
Customers with additional questions may call Wholesale Produce Supply at 612-378-2025.
A halved cantaloupe is pictured on September 29, 2011, in Miami. (Photo Illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
