News and Stories

This update does not apply to any Markon First Crop, Ready-Set-Serve, or Markon Essentials products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with public health and regulatory officials in several states, investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Anatum infections this past spring. Fourteen people infected with the outbreak strain Salmonella Anatum were reported from three states with illness onset dates ranging from December 20, 2016 to April 8, 2017. Five people were hospitalized and one death was reported from California. FDA product samples of papayas from Mexico tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Anatum.

What we know:

• To date, 14 people from 3 states have been identified to have been infected with the same outbreak strain of Salmonella Anatum
  • Five ill people were hospitalized, one death has been reported in California
  • The states involved are Arizona, California and Colorado
• Illness onset dates range from December 20, 2016 to April 8, 2017
• The FDA began investigating the Salmonella Anatum outbreak in March 17, 2017
• On September 4, 2017, FDA testing identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Anatum from a sample taken from an imported papaya at the U.S.-Mexico border
  • This sample originated from Productores y Exportadores de Carica Papaya  de Tecomán y Costa Alegre in Tijuana, Mexico
  • The papaya was packed by Frutas Selectas de Tijuana and distributed by Bravo Produce to one grocery store chain where four of seven ill people reported buying papayas
  • On September 10, 2017, Bravo Produce Inc. recalled Maradol papayas (see attached update)
• CDC reviewed the PulseNet database for matching DNA fingerprints in bacteria from people who were ill in the spring of 2017 and identified six more illnesses

Four separate outbreaks have now been linked to papayas from different farms in Mexico. CDC is concerned that papayas from several other farms in Mexico might be contaminated with Salmonella. FDA continues testing papayas from Mexico to identify any other papayas that may be contaminated with Salmonella. As the investigations continue, there may be additional farms from other locations identified that may trigger additional consumer warnings. At this time CDC recommends that consumers not eat, restaurants not serve, and retailers not sell Maradol papayas from the Carica de Campeche, Caraveo Produce (Rancho el Ganadero), El Zapotanito and Productores y Exportadores de Carica Papaya  de Tecomán y Costa Alegre farms in Mexico.

Salmonella Outbreak Sources to Date:

For more in depth information about Salmonella, and details on the ongoing outbreaks, please refer to the FDA  and CDC  Websites.

Markon will continue to update members when more information becomes available.

Angie Ramirez

Food Safety Supervisor

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