The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Uganda illnesses linked to Cavi Brand whole, fresh papayas.
According to the CDC, this outbreak appears to be over; however, the FDA’s investigational activities associated with this outbreak are ongoing.
The epidemiological and traceback information collected in the investigation confirmed that Agroson’s LLC of Bronx, New York, was the exclusive distributor of the imported papayas that made consumers from this outbreak sick.
On August 26, 2019 the FDA issued a statement calling on the papaya industry to improve practices and better protect consumers. Additionally, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Agroson’s LLC, the distributor of Cavi brand papayas implicated in this outbreak.
The FDA asked Agroson’s LLC, the exclusive distributor of this brand, to conduct a voluntary recall of Cavi brand papayas. Agroson's LLC refused to initiate a recall. FDA contacted wholesale customers of Agroson’s LLC to ensure the fruit was no longer available for sale, had been discarded, or was not further processed or frozen. FDA did this to protect consumers as it pursued additional protective and regulatory actions.
Recommendation
Consumers and distributors no longer need to avoid or withhold Cavi brand whole, fresh papayas imported from Mexico. The papayas that were linked to the illnesses in this outbreak are no longer on the market.