Texan importer-distributor Caribe Produce is recalling 286 cartons of Caribeña-branded Maradol papayas from Mexico, according to a statement from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The fruit, packed in 35 lb. cartons marked with the brand “Caribeña” and “ Product of Mexico” stamped on the side, has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, the USDA said.
The recalled fruit was distributed in the Bronx, New York, in wholesale stores and through retail stores between 14 May and 17 May, although no illnesses have been reported to date.
??According to local reports, the testing of whole fresh Mexican papayas for salmonella and other pathogens remains ongoing, with shipments routinely held and rejected at the border after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an import alert in August 2011.
Other importers have also reportedly recalled whole fresh papayas from Mexico in recent weeks, while several papaya growers have been listed as having shipments refused because of salmonella in an FDA report released this month.
