Those who received a “Healthy Living Food Box” last week are being advised not to eat the cantaloupe included with it as it may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
The Northwestern Health Unit started contacting food box recipients yesterday, advising anyone who received a cantaloupe in their food box to discard it as a precaution.
This advisory comes down from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which yesterday expanded a warning first issued March 22 for consumers not to eat cantaloupes from Agropecuaria Montelibano—a grower and packer in Honduras—because they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
Consumers who have recently purchased whole cantaloupe or in-store products containing fresh cantaloupe are advised to check with their place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from this specific grower and packer.
The affected cantaloupes are known to have been distributed across Canada and the U.S. by various retail stores earlier this year, the CFIA said on its website.
The CFIA received reports of nine illnesses in five provinces—B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick—between Jan. 19 and Feb. 22. Fifty cases were reported in 16 states during the same period.
The affected distributors and retailers are voluntarily removing the affected cantaloupes from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
Food contaminated with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled.
Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause salmonellosis—a food-borne illness. In young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections.
In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
CFIA said consumers should not buy cantaloupes that are bruised or damaged. They only should purchase cut fruits that are refrigerated.
After purchase, the melons should be promptly refrigerated again.
To further avoid salmonella poisoning, consumers should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with hot water and soap after handling cantaloupes, CFIA said.
Before cutting fresh cantaloupe, thoroughly wash the whole cantaloupe with running water and brush with a clean produce brush. Cantaloupe should not be left at room temperature for longer than two hours, CFIA advised.
The Northwestern Health Unit is unaware of any laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis associated with this recall in the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.
For more information, call public health inspectors Dave Coats or Brian Norris at 274-9827.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
