US Mango Outbreak Toll 103. Splendid Recalls Daniella Mangos

More than 100 people in 16 US states have been infected with a strain of Salmonella Braenderup that also has sickened 21 people in Western Canada, according to today’s report from CDC.

All of the reported illnesses occurred since July 1, 2012. Twenty-five of the 103 confirmed case-patients were hospitalized. Most of the reported cases (78 out of 103) were from California.

CDC has not listed the states that reported outbreak cases; however, eFoodAlert has learned that Oregon (1 case), Washington (6 cases), New York (3 cases) and Texas (2 cases) are impacted by this outbreak.

Illness onset dates range from July 3rd to August 11th. Slightly more than one-half (55%) of the victims are female; outbreak victims range in age from less than 1 year old to 86 years old.

Approximately 70% of the outbreak victims who were interviewed reported consuming mangos in the week before becoming ill. Many of the California victims – approximately 80% of whom are Hispanic – reported purchasing mangos from Hispanic markets or grocery stores. The specific type and source of mangos that might be linked to the illnesses is still being investigated.

Even though US federal and state agencies have not reached any conclusions as to the brand or source of mangos behind this outbreak, produce distributor Splendid Products (Burlingame, CA) is recalling Daniella brand mangos (Product of Mexico; sold as individual fruit; labeled with Daniella brand sticker and PLU #3114, 4051, 4311, 4584 or 4959). According to Splendid, the mangos were sold at various retail stores throughout the U.S. between July 12 and August 29, 2012.

A few retailers already have posted recall notices on their web pages, and Costco has been notifying by telephone its customers who purchased these mangos. A list of retailers who are recalling the Daniella mangos is available through the Salmonella Braenderup – Mango tab at the top of the page.

Advice to Consumers

In the absence of specific advice from either CDC or FDA, the following advice is included in the Splendid Products recall notice:

Those who have bought the recalled mangoes are advised not to eat them and to discard them. If there is no identifying sticker on the mango, consider discarding or returning the product to the place of purchase.

The Public Health Agency of Canada offers the following recommendation:

Check to see if you have any of the recalled mangoes in your home. If you have mangoes, but aren’t certain if they are part of the recall, check with the store where they were purchased.

If you have the product, do not eat it. Secure it in a plastic bag and throw it out. Then wash your hands thoroughly in warm soapy water.

California Investigating Salmonella Braenderup Outbreak

The California Department of Public Health has taken the lead in the investigation of approximately 90 cases of Salmonella Braenderup infections in the USA. Seventy-three of those cases are within California.

All of the cases involve the same outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup that has caused at least 22 cases of salmonellosis in Canada. The Canadian cases are linked to consumption of Daniella brand Mangoes, imported from Mexico. About two-thirds of the California outbreak victims reported mango consumption, although specific mango brands or sources have not yet been identified in the US outbreak.

On August 24th, North American Produce Sales (Vancouver, BC) – the Canadian importer of the implicated mangoes – recalled all Daniella brand Mangoes sold at retail stores in Canada from July 12th to August 14, 2012. And earlier today, both Stop & Shop and Giant Foods LLC alerted their customers that Splendid Products (Burlingame, CA) has voluntarily recalled these mangoes.

Neither the California Department of Public Health nor the CDC is prepared to list the other states that have reported outbreak cases at this time. CDC spokesperson Lola Russell told eFoodAlert by email that the outbreak is “under investigation.”

Nicho Produce Company – Stealth Recall Revisited

In December 2011, USDA tested samples of “Cut Above” brand shredded bagged lettuce and spinach from Nicho Produce Company, Inc. (Edinburg, TX). And found Listeria monocytogenes.

These positive test results prompted the company to initiate a recall of the affected production lots. If you don’t remember this recall, you’re not alone. There was no press release issued. It was announced by letter.

The positive test results also triggered an inspection of Nicho’s processing facility by FDA. According to a Warning Letter issued on May 21, 2012 and posted earlier today on the FDA website, 12 out of the 72 environmental samples taken during the inspection yielded Listeria monocytogenes – including on direct food-contact surfaces. The strains recovered from the processing facility matched the strains found by USDA in the spinach and lettuce samples.

Nicho issued a second recall notice on December 19th, at the end of FDA’s inspection. Once again, the recall was announced only by letter. I learned about the recalls in mid-February, – TWO MONTHS AFTER THEY WERE “ANNOUNCED” – courtesy of FDA’s Weekly Enforcement Report for February 15, 2012. As I posted on February 19th, the Nicho Produce “A Cut Above” recall encompassed 33 different items, distributed in Texas.

This is an egregious example of a Class I recall that SHOULD have been announced to the public. It should not have taken two months for FDA to release information about the recall. I realize that the recall affected produce that was distributed only in one state. But the extent of distribution should not have been a deciding factor. Residents of Texas deserve to know when a contaminated food has been circulating in their midst. As do the rest of us.

It’s time to put an end to stealth recalls.