180,000 cantaloupes recalled in US due to Listeria concerns
28 July 2012 – North Carolina-based Burch Farms began a voluntary recall of Athena cantaloupes over concerns the products were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The recall has since been expanded on 2 August, taking the total number of cantaloupes affected to 188,902.
“There have been no illnesses reported to date. FDA and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture are working with Burch Equipment LLC following a random sample of an Athena variety cantaloupe testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes,” said a notice on the FDA website.
“The recall expansion is based on unsanitary conditions found at the cantaloupe packing shed during FDA’s on-going inspection that may allow for contamination of cantaloupes with Listeria monocytogenes.”
