Packing Plant Linked to Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak Closing
On Friday, Mexico’s Health Department issued an order for the temporary shutdown of a melon-packing facility that has been associated with salmonella infections resulting in the deaths of five individuals in Canada and three in the United States.
While the department did not disclose the name of the company responsible, Canada’s Public Health Agency has connected the outbreak to cantaloupes bearing the Malichita and Rudy brands.
Mexico did not specify the nature of the violations detected at the plant located in the northern border state of Sonora. They mentioned that testing was underway to identify the origin of the contamination.
Inspectors collected water samples and conducted surface swabs at the facility to search for traces of salmonella bacteria.
Since October, a minimum of 230 people in the U.S. and 129 in Canada have fallen ill as a result of this outbreak.
The implicated cantaloupes belong to two brands, Malichita and Rudy, both of which are cultivated in the Sonora region.
These fruits were imported by two companies, namely Sofia Produce LLC in Nogales, Arizona, trading as TruFresh, and Pacific Trellis Fruit LLC in Los Angeles. To date, over 36,000 boxes or cases of cantaloupe have been recalled.
Health authorities are advising consumers, retailers, and restaurants to refrain from purchasing, consuming, or serving cantaloupe if they are uncertain about its source.