FDA Recalls Tropical Fruit Linked to Typhoid

LOS ANGELES COUNTY —  After several reported cases of typhoid, the Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced a voluntary nationwide recall of frozen fruit products linked to the illness.

The large tropical fruit, called mamey, has a soft pulp that ranges in color from salmon pink to red.

Frozen mamey products under the brands of El Sembrador and La Fe are being recalled, FDA officials said. A third mamey product with no brand name, labeled “Mamey, Mammea Americana, Product of Guatemala,” is also subject to the recall.

State and local health officials in Florida have linked 13 confirmed cases of typhoid in south Florida to the consumption of frozen mamey, FDA officials said. The 13 illnesses, which occurred between December and Feb. 18, required hospitalization, according to the FDA. Typhoid, considered rare in the United States, is a bacterial infection that causes high fever, abdominal cramps and fatigue.

The recall represents a precautionary measure while health officials try to determine the source of the contamination. Consumers who have purchased these brands of the frozen fruit are being asked to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

La Fe frozen mamey was distributed by Gonzalez & Tapanes Foods in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Oregon. The El Sembrador frozen mamey, distributed by L. & J. General International Corp., was distributed in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia and New York.