Fears of salmonella contamination have prompted the FDA to recall seedless watermelons that were distributed in California and Texas. A food test was conducted that detected the presence of salmonella on the outside rind of a watermelon. A company in Davis, California, Timco Worldwide Inc., is being asked to recall these melons which have a sticker displaying MelonUP! and UPC code 0 33383 40240 6. Any consumers who have purchased watermelons with these stickers are asked to return them to the store where they purchased the melons for a refund.
Salmonella food poisoning is a bacteria that can cause serious illness. Most foodborne illnesses are mild, and cause stomach flu like symptoms. However, certain individuals can be made severely ill by food poisoning. You should always visit a doctor to find a salmonella diagnosis and to determine whether you need salmonella treatment. Timco Worldwide stresses that as a precaution, consumers should thoroughly wash the outside rinds of any fruit, regardless of whether it has the UPC code being recalled.
Another recent salmonella scare involved french fries. In Grand Forks, ND the Simplot plant had a scare and stopped production on one of the french fry lines, but tested further and found that salmonella was not present. Production on that line was stopped for about a day and a half. After advanced testing, officials determined that no bacteria was present.
Consumers should be diligent about washing the outside of fruits and vegetables thoroughly in order to ensure salmonella prevention. If you develop symptoms, you should contact your doctor at once to insure that you are not at serious risk. Those most at risk are young children, the elderly and those with AIDS, cancer or other diseases that may compromise the immune system.
Two complications of salmonella food poisoning are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Reiter’s Syndrome. While IBS is not usually life threatening, it does cause bouts of diarrhea and constipation, and often causes chronic sufferers to require more time off of work. Reiter’s Syndrome causes arthritic-like symptoms, which often last for months or longer and can be permanent.
Any time you have foods in your home that have been recalled, return them to the store or throw them out. Never risk illness by eating foods that have been recalled. If you suffer a foodborne illness, contact a reputable New York food poisoning attorney at once. Manufacturers and distributors of foods that are contaminated may be held responsible for expenses you have incurred due to their irresponsibility.
