Grande Produce is finally issuing a “voluntary recall of a limited quantity” of Papaya Maradol with the brand name Caribeña. These fruits are linked to a deadly Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 47 people in 12 states. One person in New York has died. However, the CDC and FDA are advising consumers to avoid all types of Maradol papayas from Mexico, since some of the ill persons in this outbreak live in states where Grande Produce does not do business.
The papayas under this recall were distributed between July 10 and July 19, 2017. The only papaya subject to this recall have a Caribeña brand label.
The company has stopped importing papayas from the grower and is working with the FDA and other agencies. Environmental testing conducted by Grande Produce of its facilities has been negative for Salmonella. But Maryland officials found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Kiambu on papayas purchased from the same grocery store where patients shopped.
The FDA recall notice states that “Specific sources of what health officials now believe may be two separate Salmonella outbreaks have not yet been determined.” If you purchased these papayas, do not eat them. Throw them away in a sealed package, or take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund.
If you aren’t sure if you bought this product, ask your retailer. Then clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution to kill any bacteria. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling these papayas.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pain. People usually get sick six to seventy-two hours after exposure to the pathogenic bacteria. Most people recover within a few days, but some do become sick enough that they need to be hospitalized. Twelve people are hospitalized in this particular outbreak.
In this outbreak, people started getting sick on May 17, and the most recent case was diagnosed in June 28, 2018. This case will likely grow, since it can take a few weeks between illness onset and diagnosis.
