FDA posts Daniella mango recall; CDC says 103 sick

08/29/2012 10:01:10 PM
Coral Beach

For additional information about retailers' related recalls, please see "UPDATED: United Supermarkets, others join mango recall" and "Mango recalls continue for whole and fresh-cut fruit"

Federal health officials reported Aug. 29 that “mangoes are likely causing” a 16-state salmonella outbreak. Two hours later the Food and Drug Administration posted a voluntary recall notice from Splendid Products for Daniella brand mangoes from Mexico.

However, the Burlingame, Calif., produce distributor had actually begun pulling back the mangoes Aug. 26, asking its customers to do the same, said general manager and founder Larry Nienkerk.

“We want to let everyone know our top priority is public safety,” Nienkerk told The Packer on Aug. 28 and repeated in the Aug. 29 FDA recall notice.

“We have notified all of our customers ... and we are working with all the government agencies that are involved. We didn’t want to wait.”

The recall said the mangoes were sold as individual fruit and can be identified by the Daniella brand sticker and one of the following Price Look-Up numbers: 3114, 4051, 4311, 4584 or 4959. The recalled mangoes were sold at various retail stores throughout the U.S. between July 12 and Aug. 29.

A recall of Daniella brand mangoes in Canada began Aug. 24, although the specific brand was not initially identified Courtesy Splendid ProductsSplendid Products posted this sticker with its voluntary recall notice on the FDA's website as an example of the stickers on recalled Daniella mangoes. by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Two distributors – North American Produce Sales, Vancouver, B.C., and Mex Y Can Trading Inc., Mississauga, Ontario – have recalled the Daniella brand mangoes from nationwide distribution in Canada.

The Canadian Public Health Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. both issued statements that mangoes are suspected of being contaminated with the same strain of salmonella that has sickened 21 in Canada and 103 in the U.S.

The Canadian agency specified the Daniella brand from Mexico based on information from distributors.

Courtesy Splendid ProductsThis is an example of the boxes that Splendid Products used to ship Daniella mangoes, which are now recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. The CDC’s outbreak update Aug. 29 did not specify a brand, but said 70% of the outbreak victims in the U.S. reported eating mangoes during the week before they became ill. Of the 103 sick people in the U.S., 62 had to be admitted to hospitals, the CDC said. The illnesses began July 1, according to data from CDC’s PulseNet system.

Comments (10) Leave a comment 

This is not the first time something like this happens with hot-water treated mangoes. Irradiation of mangoes will solve this.

I´m sure that this problem has nothing to do with hot-water treated mangoes becuase they come from the north wich is a fruit-fly free zone

I hope that this problem does not grow. I also hope and pray that are no more incidences. Mangoes are great tasting items and they are healthy for you. I expect that the industry will approach it with additional serious actions. Growers in the US and Mexico have had some real challenges lately and it is important that we support their efforts so that they can afford to improve food safety procedures. It is not cheap and it is not easy to do. The discipline and super extra care is more important than ever. The consumer needs to be protected as well as the farmer. We need each other. And to support both is in the right spirit.

So, Jim, how long have you worked for Daniella?

This information should let consumers know that Florida grown mangos (season June
thru Aug) are of top quality and taste

The industry needs to embrace that we have to come together and commit to
credibility in all commodities across the board. These recalls and problems have only
begun and will continue until all grower operations commit to better practices and
people who are in areas that are not food safe stop growing commodities they can't
grow safe. Local cantaloupe, off the menu board. Grow lopes in areas that are
desert dry and famous for flavor, safety, and credibility. Mexican product these days
has the best food safety in the deal and if they don't they better get there quick. We
are approaching a time when only safe produce will be bought and sold for retail.
Foodservice will be right behind. Grow safe, pack safe, ship safe, merchandise safe
and eat healthy!
Quote me on that. Harris Cutler

I recently bought a mango to make baby food with. The mango is organic but its still from mexico, am I safe becuase its organic?

Concernedmommy,

In this case, organic mangoes aren't involved; they have a different PLU.

But whether an item is organic or not doesn't exclude it from the possibility of being involved in a recall/outbreak. While most recalls involve conventionally grown items, most of the fruits/vegetables sold are conventional.
There have been recalls/outbreaks tied to organic produce before.

Regards,

Chris Koger
News Editor

I bought some of these mangoes at the Wenatchee Safeway on Aug 29th. I called the produce department Sept. 1st. to get advice. Safeway hadn't heard of the recall but had received a couple of calls concerning it. It is sad that Safeway are selling Mexican mangoes during the Florida mango season particularly in an area that was badly hurt by the Mexican tariffs on the apples and pears grown here.