Papaya Lovers, Beware: There’s A Salmonella Outbreak Going Around

If you’ve bought some nice juicy papayas and are preparing to cut them up for your next snack, you’ll want to pay attention to this: There’s a salmonella outbreak linked to a certain brand of papayas — but the company that sells them isn’t sharing that information with customers.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Grande Produce informed the agency that it initiated a limited recall of its Caribeña brand Maradol papayas distributed nationwide from July 7 – July 18, 2017.

But as of Tuesday, the company hasn’t issued a press release notifying consumers about the recall. Therefore, the FDA is warning consumers to avoid all Caribeña brand Maradol papayas.

Salmonella Is Going Around

These papayas have been linked to a recent outbreak of salmonella: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 47 cases, 12 hospitalizations and one death from 12 states in the Salmonella Kiambu outbreak reported so far.

The states involved are IA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, PA, TX, UT and VA.

CDC is now investigating to obtain additional information, and determine whether or not another recent strain of the illness — Salmonella Thompson — in Maryland is part of this multistate outbreak.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.

What You Should Do

Don’t eat any Caribeña brand Maradol papayas, and if you have any at home, throw them out. The FDA also recommends asking restaurants or retailer whether they use Caribeña brand Maradol papayas and if so, avoid eating those products.