FDA names one and seeks others in papaya investigation
The Texas company named in an outbreak of salmonella linked to fresh yellow maradol papayas issued a limited recall of its fruit but as of July 26 had not made any public comments about the investigation.
The company’s recall, reported on July 25 by the Food and Drug Administration, came almost a week after the Maryland Department of Health first warned consumers and retailers that Caribeña-brand yellow maradol papayas from San Juan, Texas-based Grande Produce tested positive for salmonella.
In the July 25 update, the FDA warned consumers to avoid all of the company’s maradol papayas. Although the company notified the FDA of the recall, it had not sent a recall notice to the agency for posting on its recall website.
The FDA said the company initiated a “limited recall” of its maradol papayas distributed nationwide from July 7 to July 18.
The agency also noted that there are illnesses in states where Grande Produce did not distribute papayas and health officials are working to determine if other brands were involved.
Grande Produce did not respond to e-mails or phone calls seeking comments.
Dante Galeazzi, CEO and president of the Texas International Produce Association, said July 26 that Grande Produce officials have been cooperating with health officials on the investigation.
“I am aware they are working directly with FDA on this and they have fully cooperated,” he said,
Galeazzi said Grande Produce is conducting their own traceback investigation and sharing data with the FDA.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended consumers avoid maradol papayas from Mexico. The CDC has reported 47 cases in 12 states, including 12 hospitalizations and one death from Salmonella Kiambu. Salmonella Thompson and Salmonella Kiambu were detected on papayas at the Baltimore retail store that led to the Maryland Department of Health warning.
The recall has prompted calls of concern to the United Fresh Produce Association from other shippers because of its impact on the supply chain, said Jennifer McEntire, vice president of food safety and technology for United Fresh.
She said the complex distribution and supply chain for fresh produce makes traceback investigations difficult.
“You don’t want to provide the public with a false sense of security if the focus and the spotlight is on this one brand and later you discover there are others, but you also don’t want to be accused of being irresponsible by not alerting people,” she said. “You are kind of in a no-win situation here if you are the company.”
