WASHINGTON D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to avoid eating Caribeña brand Maradol papayas, because they are linked to an outbreak of salmonella, according to a release on the administration’s website.
Maradol papayas are green before the ripen and turn yellow, the FDA says. Consumers should not eat Caribeña brand papayas regardless of their color, according to the FDA. If anyone has these papayas in their home, they should dispose of them immediately, the FDA says.
Caribeña brand papayas can be identified by a red, green and yellow sticker found here.
According to the FDA, papaya samples taken at a Baltimore retail location tested positive for strains of Salmonella Kiambu. The Caribeña brand papayas from Mexico have been identified as a brand linked to these illnesses, according to the FDA. Additional brands will be announced as the information becomes available, the FDA says.
The Center for Disease Control reports that 47 cases, 12 hospitalizations and one death have been linked to the Salmonella outbreak. The states involved are Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The CDC said it is working to collect additional information to determine whether the recent Salmonella Thompson illness in Maryland is part of this multistate outbreak.
