The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urgently escalated last month's recall of a popular fruit. Earlier this week, a notice on cantaloupes was assigned a Class I rating, the FDA's most serious risk category.
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Why Is There a Recall on Cantaloupes?
On March 24, 2026, the FDA issued a voluntary recall notice for cantaloupes sold by distributor Ayco Farms due to concerns about Salmonella contamination. The Florida-based distributor sold the fruit in four states.
The affected Ayco-brand cantaloupes were packaged in food-safe plastic and shipped in cartons containing six to twelve melons each.
An estimated 8,300 cartons were impacted, with affected cantaloupes distributed in Pennsylvania, Florida, California, and New York.
On Monday, April 20, the FDA updated the recall classification. According to its website, a Class I recall is initiated when "there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."
There Is a Discrepancy Between the FDA and Ayco Farms
Yet PEOPLE reports that, in a press release issued on April 10, Ayco Farms stated there was no longer an active recall of its products.
"The recall was initiated earlier this year as a precautionary measure in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration," it read. "On March 24, 2026, Ayco Farms issued formal notifications to its customers, as agreed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as part of the agency's standard recall reporting process."
Ayco added that the recall was a "regulatory protocol." Since refrigerated fresh cantaloupe has a shelf life of about 30 days, the affected products were no longer available.
"Ayco Farms remains committed to the highest standards of food safety, transparency, and regulatory compliance," the press release read.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Salmonella is a bacterium that leads to infections. It is caused "by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs or egg products, or by drinking unpasteurized milk."
Salmonella symptoms can include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, usually starting within 8 hours to 3 days after exposure.
While it can be life-threatening, most healthy people recover within a few days to a week without seeking medical help.
