CONTACT: BOUNTY FRESH, LLC 305-592-6969
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — MIAMI, FL — MARCH 27, 2008 — BOUNTY FRESH, LLC, HAS RECALLED CANTALOUPES FROM AGROPECUARIA MONTELIBANO, A HONDURAN GROWER AND PACKER BECAUSE THE U.S FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (“FDA”) HAS DETERMINED, BASED ON CURRENT INFORMATION, THAT CANTALOUPE FRUIT FROM THIS COMPANY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA, AN ORGANISM WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, FRAIL OR ELDERLY PEOPLE, AND OTHERS WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. HEALTHY PERSONS INFECTED WITH SALMONELLA OFTEN EXPERIENCE FEVER, DIARRHEA (WHICH MAY BE BLOODY), NAUSEA, VOMITING AND ABDOMINAL PAIN. IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, INFECTION WITH SALMONELLA CAN RESULT IN THE ORGANISM GETTING INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND PRODUCING MORE SEVERE ILLNESSES SUCH AS ARTERIAL INFECTIONS (I.E. INFECTED ANEURYSMS), ENDOCARDITIS AND ARTHRITIS.
THE RECALLED PRODUCT WAS DISTRIBUTED NATIONWIDE TO WHOLESALERS AND GROCERY STORES. WHOLE CANTALOUPE FRUITS SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL ARE PACKED THREE MELONS IN A SLEEVE UNDER THE BRAND “CHESTNUT HILL FARMS” AND ONE MELON PER SLEEVE UNDER THE “PERFECT MELON” BRAND. INDIVIDUAL MELONS ARE NOT LABELED, BUT SLEEVES CONTAIN TAGS THAT SAY EITHER “PERFECT MELON” (ONE COUNT) OR “CHESTNUT HILL FARMS” (3 COUNT). WHOLE CANTALOUPE FRUITS SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL WERE SOLD IN BOXES MARKED WITH THE FOLLOWING TEXT: “CANTALOUPE, “CHESTNUT HILL FARMS” (3 COUNT) OR “PERFECT MELON” (ONE COUNT) , PRODUCE OF HONDURAS, GROWN, PACKED AND SHIPPED BY AGROPECUARIA MONTELIBANO, SAN LORENZO, VALLE, HONDURAS”. ALL BOXES ALSO CONTAIN THE CHESTNUT HILL FARMS LOGO.
THIS RECALL HAS BEEN INITIATED BASED ON THE FDA”S DETERMINATION, BASED ON CURRENT INFORMATION, THAT CANTALOUPE FRUIT FROM THE REFERENCED GROWER/PACKER APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A SALMONELLA LITCHFIELD OUTBREAK IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
CONSUMERS WHO HAVE RECENTLY BOUGHT WHOLE CANTALOUPES FROM THIS SPECIFIC GROWER AND PACKER SHOULD DESTROY THESE PRODUCTS IMMEDIATELY. CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS MAY CONTACT RAUL ROMERO, BOUNTY FRESH, LLC AT 305-592-6969.
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