With 121 illnesses reported as of last week, the August recall of more than 1 million mangoes over salmonella concerns was undoubtedly one of the more notable food recalls of 2012. It was initially reported that the Daniella Mangoes that had been recalled in 16 states were expected to have been pulled from the various supermarkets and stores by their expiration dates, which were believed to have fallen between the August 25 and 28. Unfortunately, there have been two new developments in this recall that should have consumers thinking twice about where their fruit is coming from.
A No Winn Situation
As identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August and Earlier this month, the recall initially involved mangoes distributed by Splendid Products as recently as August 30 and September 1. However, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. has announced that it will be expanding the recall to include Daniella Brand Mangoes that were distributed through September 18. Winn-Dixie is a part of Bi-Lo Holdings, and it joins the other major supermarket chains, like Food Lion, Whole Foods and Savemart (among others), that have been embroiled in this salmonella scare. Bi-Lo currently operates as many as 687 stores across the Southeast.
Cutting Off at the Source
The decision by Winn-Dixie coincides with the recent decision by the FDA to disallow any further importation of fruits from Agricola Daniella, the company that operates the plantations at which these mangoes have been grown. Based in Mexico, Agricola Daniella has been informed by the FDA that its products will be detained until the company can prove that its fruits are no longer detrimental to U.S. consumers.
Fortunately, no deaths have been reported in relation to these contaminated mangoes; however, the cause for concern remains. The basic symptoms of salmonella poisoning include cramps, fever, nausea and diarrhea, and they can take as long as 3 days to develop after a person has consumed the tainted fruit. Consumers who have been in contact with and eaten the Daniella mangoes should throw out any remaining fruit and contact a physician immediately if they have experienced any symptoms of salmonella.