Recall on Apples, Watermelon & Other Fruit Hits 2 Stores, Including Walmart

Sliced fruit sold at Walmart and other locations is being recalled due to Listeria.

walmart watermelon recall
Shutterstock.com
Shutterstock.com

On October 1, Country Fresh launched a recall on sliced watermelon due to the potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. That recall has since been expanded to include cut or sliced apples, grapes, mangoes, pineapples, and cantaloupe. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered Listeria monocytogenes contamination on Country Fresh equipment during an inspection, according to the FDA announcement. The watermelon recall was for items sent directly to Walmart and RaceTrac locations in Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas. The expanded recall impacts items sent only to Walmart stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Importantly, to date, there are no reported cases of illnesses linked to these foods.

The best if used by dates on recalled watermelon items are through October 4. As for the other fruits, the dates range from October 3 to October 11. The FDA has posted a full list of the non-watermelon products and all of the sliced watermelon items

Listeria monocytogenes can cause "serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," according to the FDA. Even healthy individuals may experience symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. 

Anyone with these products in their home is urged to throw out the fruit. Don't mess around with it, because it's not worth the risk. 

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow him @dlukenelson.