Salmonella Risk Prompts Mango Recall

Potential Salmonella poisoning has spurred a recall of fruit that was sold in major chain stores in almost every state across the country, as well as Washington D.C. and Canada.

Product liability lawyers understand that at least 105 people in 16 states have been infected with the strain since July 1 as a result of consuming these mangoes. Of those, 25 were hospitalized.

We continue to see cases of food poisoning, sometimes with fatal results. Many remember the massive peanut recall in 2009, which resulted in more than 1,000 products being pulled from shelves. At least 8 people died and more than 500 suffered a serious illness. Smuckers and Skippy have both recalled peanut butter because of the risk of salmonella poisoning.

Those who were sickened in this case ranged in age from 1 year old to 86 years old, with 54 percent being female. We’re likely to hear about more cases, as the illness takes time to manifest itself and then even longer for a person or hospital to report it.

Salmonella can be deadly to young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. In some cases, an infection from Salmonella can get into the bloodstream and cause arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis.

It’s also important to note that a recall doesn’t release a company from liability if someone were to become seriously ill or worse.

The concern in this case is specifically regarding fresh cut mangoes that were distributed by stores like Walmart, Starbucks and Winn-Dixie, among others. The fruit were originally produced by Splendid Products, which distributed them to Daniella Brand which then sold them to Ready Pack Foods, Inc. From there, the mangoes were sold across the country in the form of a dozen different products, including:

• Super FruitMedley
• Mango
• Super Fruit Blend
• Fruit Tray Bien
• Fruit & Chocolate Platter
• Sliced Mango
• MangoFandango
• Gourmet FruitBowl
• Sweet Sunshine Platter
• Seasons Choice
• Seasonal HarvestFruit Blend
• Chicken & Mango Salsa Salad

Use-by dates range from Aug. 22 through Sept. 8, 2012.

The voluntary recall extends to all customers who may have purchased these products. Consumers should record the UPC code number and immediately throw away the contents of the packages.

Retailers are asked to check store shelves for the items and remove them from there as well, but that doesn’t guarantee their might not be a few that slip by. It’s not clear from the FDA’s announcement how the mangoes might expose consumers to Salmonella, but it’s critical that consumers heed this warning.

While many people who contract Salmonella make a complete recovery, some things you need to know about an infection:

• The most common symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps some 12 to 72 hours after consuming the infected product;
• The main reason for hospitalization of Salmonella sufferers is severe fluid loss due to diarrhea;
• An Salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the blood, and when this happens, a person can die if they are not properly and swiftly treated with antibiotics;
• Young children and older folks are the most susceptible to serious illness;
• Every year, some 42,000 people are sickened by Salmonella – though those are only the cases that are reported;
• About 400 people in the U.S. die each year due to Salmonella infections.

What’s more, Salmonella infections are preventable with proper food preparation and handling. Manufacturers and suppliers of these products need to be held responsible when someone becomes severely ill due to a company’s negligence.