Cantaloupe is a sweet, delicious, and popular melon here in Texas, but also one with a fraught history.

Last year, hundreds were sickened by a Salmonella outbreak, and six people lost their lives.

And now (September 2024) another batch of melons has been recalled for potential Salmonella contamination.

What Is Salmonella? Why Is It So Dangerous?

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in human and animal digestive tracts.

Eating raw or undercooked foods such as meat, eggs or unpasteurized milk can expose a person to Salmonella.

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Some people may become infected with the bacteria and have no symptoms at all. Others will have symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, chills, nausea/ vomiting, headaches and/ or blood in their stool.

Salmonella can be dangerous or even deadly if the infected person is very young, elderly, or has a weakened immune system. It can also cause a person to become severely dehydrated.

Why Does This Keep Happening To Cantaloupes?

Cantaloupes are almost exclusively eaten raw, and due to their craggy exterior, tend to "hold" germs more tenaciously than other fruits. It is very important to not only wash but scrub a cantaloupe before cutting into it, as the knife can drag bacteria into the interior of the fruit.

Which Cantaloupes Are Affected By The Recall?

The cantaloupes are identified with a red and white sticker with KANDY across the top and UPC number code, 4050.

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The melons were distributed between August 13th - 17th in Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia and sold in various retail supermarkets.

If you have a KANDY labeled cantaloupe you can contact Eagle Produce LLC for further information at 1-800-627-8674 Monday – Friday 9 AM – 5PM PST.

Consumers are strongly encouraged NOT to eat any of the affected melons; however, no illnesses have been reported.