Major Cantaloupe And Other Fruit Recall Going On Right Now
You might want to toss out some of the fruit you have in your fridge. There is a major cantaloupe and other fruit recall going on right now. This is not good timing as a lot of people are getting ready for Thanksgiving day meals.
The food and drug administration have recalled almost 70 different products. The 69 products under recall are sold under a variety of brands. The recalls include cantaloupe, fruit mixes, pineapple, honeydew and watermelon in pieces, halves and other cuts.
The fruit was sold here in Florida. When you hit the grocery store this week, you will notice the fruit shelves are empty. Stores are pulling products that could have been contaminated. If you have these types of fruits at home, you should toss them out.
Main Products Affected
- Whole fresh cantaloupes with a label that says “Malichita”, “4050”, and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique” sold between October 16 and October 23.
- ALDI: cantaloupe, cut cantaloupe, and pineapple spears with Best-by dates between October 27 and October 31.
- Vinyard cantaloupe chunks and cubes, fruit mixes, melon medleys, and fruit cups containing cantaloupe. Most have a “Vinyard” label, and some have a red label with “Fresh” sold between October 30 and November 10.
Recalled cantaloupe was sold at retail stores in Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and Canada.
Some consumers freeze cantaloupe for later use. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should check their freezers and throw away recalled fresh or cut cantaloupe that was frozen for later use.
If you do not know information on where you purchased your cantaloupe or what the brand is, toss it out.
For a complete list of the 69 products click here.
Salmonella Symptoms
Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and usually lasts four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.
It is a good idea to follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra caution when cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products.
Holiday Food Dangers: What Not to Feed Your Pets
The ideal way to spend the holidays is in the company of family and friends rather than dealing with a visit to the veterinary hospital. As Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve approach, the experts in toxicology at Pet Poison Helpline are warning pet lovers about the numerous hazards that pets may encounter during this holiday season.
“We receive more potential poisoning calls in November and December than any other time of the year,” said Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, in a press release. “Some of the biggest threats during the holidays are toxins that are prevalent throughout the entire year, like lilies, chocolate, xylitol, and medication, but there are many toxic items that are specific to the holidays, such as eggnog.”
Holiday Pet Dangers
Pet Poison Helpline shared a distressing incident from last Christmas. One involves someone’s two cats, who fell seriously ill after nibbling on a lily from a holiday bouquet.
During the previous winter in Indianapolis, a puppy was poisoned by ingesting half a cup of ice melt. The main concern for the medical team was the sodium chloride. Apparently, this can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system signs, according to the Pet Poison Helpline.
Chocolate is a holiday danger for pets.
Another significant holiday danger is chocolate, with the added threat of xylitol. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is another dangerous toxin that can be combined with chocolate. With the increasing legalization of marijuana in many states, the Pet Poison Helpline has observed a rise in cannabis-related calls. While THC’s toxicity level is considered mild for dogs and cats, it can still have significant effects, they said.
Medications are a major year-round toxic threat. They become even more hazardous during the holidays when visitors may bring unknown medications into your home. “Of all the calls we receive at Pet Poison Helpline, animals ingesting human medications is one of our most common,” noted Dr. Schmid.
Pet Poison Helpline recounted an incident a few days before last New Year’s Eve. It involved an Alaskan Malamute puppy who ingested a Percocet, a pain reliever containing a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone. A visiting relative dropped the pill on the floor, and although it was unfortunately found by the dog. Happily, she was treated promptly and made a full recovery. However, the outcome could have been much worse. If you have holiday guests, they suggest reminding them to keep their medications out of reach of family pets and children.
Holidays create more opportunities for pets to come in contact with various toxins. Pet lovers need to be extra vigilant. This is especially true when around new people or environments.
Take a look at foods to avoid feeding pets during the holidays below.
Launa is part of Tampa Bay's Hometown Morning Krewe on 99.5 WQYK. She has been with the station for 7 years and joined J.R. and Kevin on the morning show 4 years ago. Since then, they have been nominated for not only a CMA but also an ACM. Launa has been in radio for the past 28 years and in the Tampa Bay market for 22 of those years. While working in radio, Launa has also served as an entertainment reporter on a local TV show and has hosted many charity events in the community. Using her popularity from QYK, Launa loves to help raise money for shelter animals and has been a volunteer at local shelters for years. Launa loves the community and writes articles on local news, entertainment, and events and highlights people who are shining in Tampa Bay that she knows others like her would also be interested in reading.