Mexican Papayas Investigated After Deadly Salmonella Outbreaks In 23 States

Both the Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned against eating papayas that come from Mexico, after several Salmonella outbreaks that have led to 65 hospitalizations and even one death.

They’ve advised to ask where your papayas are coming from before buying, as four different Mexican farms have gotten people sick.

The 23 states affected were: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Most recently, the FDA and CDC asked to stay away from Maradol papayas from “Productores y Exportadores de Carica Papaya de Tecomán y Costa Alegre” which come from Tijuana, Baja California Mexico. The FDA found Salmonella Anatum in these papayas, which could be linked to 14 cases of the illness.

The other three farms included in the warning are Carica de Campeche, Rancho el Ganadero, and El Zapotanito.

The brands specifically linked to those farms include Caribena by Grande Produce, certain Cavi papayas by Agroson’s, Valery by Freshtex Produce, and Frutas Selectas by Bravo produce. The Caribena papayas usually have a red, yellow, and green sticker attached.

If you think your papayas fall in any of these categories, do not put them in your mouth and take them straight back to the market.