CDC Issues Safety Alert Warning Consumers About Papayas From Mexico as Salmonella Outbreak Continues
Mexican Papaya Salmonella Outbreak
UNITED STATES – As reported online by foodsafetynews.com, the CDC issued a public safety alert concerning papayas imported from Mexico amid Salmonella outbreak in the United States.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has alerted consumers to a salmonella outbreak linked to papayas imported from Mexico. So far, 62 people between the ages of 1 and 86 (with a median age of 60) have become ill with salmonella after eating papayas imported from Mexico. Of the affected individuals, 53 percent are females.
While many individuals have been hospitalized, none of these individuals have died. However, given how serious salmonella can be, especially for those with compromised immune systems, the CDC is urging all consumers to discard papayas to prevent illness.
Approximately 80 percent of all papayas sold in the United States are imported from Mexico. As such, there is a significant enough chance that a consumer may have purchased papayas contaminated with salmonella. Even if a consumer is certain the papayas he or she purchased are free from salmonella, the CDC believes it is better to be on the safe side and toss the papayas.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet recalled the affected papayas imported from Mexico. According to the FDA, the agency is still working to identify which specific farms the contaminated papayas originated from. One advocacy group believes the FDA has not done enough to protect consumers within the United States, citing prior occasions where the FDA was slow to address salmonella outbreaks.
For example, in 2017, 220 individuals reportedly became ill after eating papayas imported from Mexico, with one of these individuals dying. The FDA states that it has a standard protocol in place to inspect papayas imported from Mexico unless the companies importing the papayas are on the “Green List” of trusted importers.
