Pre-cut melons sold at Sprouts, Gordon Foods are linked to Salmonella outbreak, recalled

On the heels of an E. coli outbreak in East Tennessee that has hospitalized a dozen young children, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned another poisonous pathogen — salmonella — may be in pre-cut melons and a popular children’s cereal sold in the state.

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its recall of pre-cut melons to 23 states, including Tennessee. On June 8, Caito Foods LLC had recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fruit medley products containing melons produced at its Indianapolis facility because of a chance of contamination with Salmonella Adelaide. Recalled products were sold in clear, plastic clamshell containers under different names and labels.

In Tennessee, the fruit was sold at Sprouts Farmers Markets at 1010 Murfreesboro Road in Franklin; 3150 Village Shops Drive in Germantown; 9050 Highway 64 in Lakeland; 576 S. Perkins in Memphis; 143 Wendelwood Drive in Murfreesboro; and 7620 Highway 70 S in Nashville, as well as at a Gordon Foods store at 317 Bluebird Drive in Goodlettsville.

In other states, other chain stores were involved, so the FDA recommends tossing any pre-cut melon if you can’t remember where you bought it. In addition, retailers are instructed not to sell or serve recalled pre-cut melon products distributed by Caito Foods Distribution, Gordon Food Service and SpartanNash Distribution.

So far, health officials have identified 60 cases of illness related to the outbreak, in five Midwestern states. None of those affected have died, though 31 people have been hospitalized.

The CDC says Salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year, with about 1 million of those getting sickened by food.

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Most people are sick four to seven days and recover without treatment, but some have severe enough diarrhea to be hospitalized.

Also on Thursday, the Kellogg Company recalled 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal after the CDC linked it with an outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka that has sickened 73 people in 31 states, including one person in Tennessee. As of Thursday, 24 people had been hospitalized because of the outbreak.

Recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal have a “best if used by” date on the box top from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019. The recalled 15.3 oz. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal has a UPC code of 38000 39103 on the bottom of the box. The recalled 23.0 oz. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal has a UPC code of 38000 14810.

“Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest of it away or return it for a refund,” the CDC recommends.