Whole Athena cantaloupes shipped to the northeastern USA: Listeria

[notyard]

FDA recall:

Recall -- Firm Press Release


FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina, is Voluntarily Recalling 580 Cases of Whole Athena Cantaloupes Due to Possible Health Risk


Contact
Consumer:
Burch Equipment LLC
910-267-5781
burch@intrstar.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 28, 2012 - Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina, is voluntarily recalling 580 cases of whole Athena cantaloupes due to the potential for being contaminated with listeria. FDA and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture are working with Burch Equipment LLC following a random sample of an Athena cantaloupe testing positive for listeria monocytogenes.
The whole Athena cantaloupes were shipped July 15 and distributed to retail stores operating in the northeastern United States. Burch Equipment LLC is requesting any consumer that may have one of these cantaloupes to please destroy the product as a precautionary measure. The whole cantaloupes are identified by a red label reading Burch Farms and referencing PLU #4319.
There have been no illnesses reported. Questions can be directed to Burch Equipment LLC at 910 267 5781 or email burch@intrstar.net.

[notyard]

FDA notice for the recalled cantaloupes shipped to Hannaford stores:

Recall -- Firm Press Release


FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

North Carolina Farm Recalls Athena Cantaloupes


Contact
Consumer:
Michael Norton:
207-885-3132

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 28, 2012 - On Saturday, Burch Farms of North Carolina announced a recall of Athena cantaloupes because the product may contain listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been associated with this recall, according to Burch Farms.

Hannaford is advising customers because its stores had carried Burch Farms Athena cantaloupes. The product has been removed. Athena cantaloupes, a variety grown in the Southeastern United States, are a whole cantaloupe produce item. If stickered, the label on the item will reference Burch Farm and read: “Cantaloupe PLU 4319.”
Customers should not consume these cantaloupes. Return the item to stores or dispose of the item and return the sticker for a full refund. Listeria has the potential to cause serious illness.
No other products are affected by this recall.
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 181 stores and employs more than 26,000 associates in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. For additional information, visit 1www.hannaford.com2.

[notyard]

Recall expanded:

Recall -- Firm Press Release


FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Burch Equipment LLC Expands Cantaloupe Recall Due to Possible Health Risk


Contact:
Consumer:
910-267-5781
burch@intrstar.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 2, 2012 - Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina is expanding their recall that was initiated on July 28th, 2012. The firm is voluntarily recalling 13888 cases of whole Athena variety cantaloupes ( 9 cantaloupes per case) and 581 bins ( 110 cantaloupes per bin) of Athena variety cantaloupes due to the potential for being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Melons affected by this recall total 188,902.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The whole Athena variety cantaloupes were shipped between July 15th and July 27th and distributed to retail stores operating in FL, GA, IL, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC and VA. The whole cantaloupes are identified by a red label reading Burch Farms referencing PLU # 4319. All cantaloupes involved in the recall were grown by Burch Farms, however some of the cantaloupes may have been identified with a "Cottle Strawberry, Inc." sticker referencing PLU #4319. Cottle Farms is not involved in this recall. The Athena variety cantaloupe is the most commonly grown in the east. Cantaloupes from Burch Farms were shipped to retail establishments in both corrugated boxes (9 cantaloupe per case) and in bulk bins.
Burch Equipment LLC is requesting any consumer that may have one of these cantaloupes to discard the product.
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. The recall expansion is based on unsanitary conditions found at the cantaloupe packing shed during FDA’s ongoing inspection that may allow for contamination of cantaloupes with Listeria monocytogenes.
Questions can be directed to Burch Equipment LLC at 910 267 5781 Monday through Friday, (9:00am to 4:00pm) or email burch@intrstar.net.

[notyard]

Bumping due to addition of honeydew melons to the recall

[Cpogie]

I have bought just 1 cantaloupe since the recalls. It's ashame that this keeps happening to these and other melons. They are always on sale here, growers must of taken a real loss overall.

[notyard]

Originally Posted by Cpogie

I have bought just 1 cantaloupe since the recalls. It's ashame that this keeps happening to these and other melons. They are always on sale here, growers must of taken a real loss overall.

You're sure right. This grower is losing their entire season on two crops. Even with insurance, they're going to take a big hit with any lawsuits from people getting ill, besides all of the costs with retrieving and destroying thousands upon thousands of melons.

We're lucky. With diligent work and watering to make up for the 12"+ rain shortage since May 1st, our garden cantaloupes, watermelons, and muskmelons have boomed, so we haven't had to buy any since before the recalls.