2011 — Salmonella Newport – Del Monte Fresh Recall – Guatemala

• Pathogen: Salmonella Newport
• Source: Del Monte Fresh recalled 4,992 cartons of cantaloupes on March 22, after the FDA notified the company of the outbreak. Product traceback information indicated the cantaloupes were from a single grower in Guatemala.
• Scale: Multistate

2011 — Salmonella – Eagle Produce Recall – Arizona

• Pathogen: Salmonella
• Source: Eagle Produce of Scottsdale, Arizona recalled 1,760 cartons of cantaloupes in June 2011 because the melons may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall was the result of a routine and random test directed by the USDA and carried out by the New York Department of Agriculture.

2011 — Listeria monocytogenes – Jensen Farms Outbreak – Colorado 

• Pathogen: Listeria monocytogenes (4 strains)
• Source: Jensen Farms of Granada, Colorado. FDA isolated Listeria monocytogenes outbreak subtypes from samples from equipment and cantaloupe from the Jensen Farms’ packing facility.
• Recall: On September 14, 2011, FDA issued a press release announcing Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall of Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes.
• Scale: 147 persons infected with any of the five outbreak-associated subtypes of Listeria across 28 states. 33 deaths reported. One pregnant woman had a miscarriage.
• Why it happened: A combination of factors at Jensen Farms’ packing facility, including design flaws that led to water pooling near packing equipment, the use of equipment that was difficult to clean, and processing factors that could have promoted Listeria growth during cold storage.

2012 — Salmonella Typhimurium & Newport – Chamberlain Farms Outbreak – Indiana

• Pathogen: Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport
• Source: Cantaloupe originating from Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc. of Owensville, Indiana. Samples of cantaloupe collected at Chamberlain Farms showed the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria with a DNA fingerprint that matched the outbreak strain.
• Recall: On August 22, 2012, the FDA announced a recall of cantaloupes originating from Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc.
• Scale: 261 persons infected from 24 states. 94 ill persons were hospitalized. Three deaths reported in Kentucky.

2017 — Salmonella Newport – Pre-Cut Melon Outbreak – Washington/Oregon

• Pathogen: Salmonella Newport
• Source: In December 2017, Washington State Department of Health announced an outbreak linked to consumption of pre-cut watermelon, cantaloupe, or fruit mixes. Twenty-four cases from Washington (21) and Oregon (3) were identified, with 6 hospitalizations.
• Scale: Regional (WA & OR)

2018 — Salmonella Adelaide – Caito Foods Outbreak – Indianapolis, Indiana

• Pathogen: Salmonella Adelaide
• Source: Pre-cut melon supplied by Caito Foods, LLC. On June 8, 2018, Caito Foods recalled fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh-cut fruit medley products produced at the Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Scale: This outbreak spanned from April to July 2018, involved 9 states, resulting in 77 illnesses and 36 hospitalizations. No deaths reported.

2019 — Salmonella Carrau – Caito Foods Outbreak – Indianapolis, Indiana

• Pathogen: Salmonella Carrau
• Source: Pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana was the likely source. On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods LLC recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products.
• Scale: 137 people infected from 10 states. 38 people were hospitalized. No deaths reported.

2020 — Salmonella Newport – Midwest Melon Farm Outbreak

• Pathogen: Salmonella Newport
• Source: An investigation was initiated in February 2020 by the CDC and public health authorities when 165 people were infected with Salmonella Javiana. Infections were reported across 14 states, leading to 73 known hospitalizations and no reported deaths. The traceback linked the outbreak to a midwestern melon operation. Federal and state regulators conducted environmental testing at a midwestern melon farm in response to this multistate outbreak that was associated with melon consumption.
• No formal public recall issued (growing season had ended before source confirmed)

2020 — Salmonella Recall – Eagle Produce LLC Recall – Kandy Brand

• Pathogen: Salmonella (precautionary)
• Source: The most recent recall was related to contamination of Salmonella in October of 2020. All cuts of cantaloupe were recalled relating to Kandy Brand from Eagle Produce, LLC. No illnesses were reported.

2022 — Salmonella Typhimurium – Indiana-Grown Cantaloupe Outbreak

• Pathogen: Salmonella Typhimurium
• Source: The FDA linked the outbreak through epidemiology and traceback to cantaloupe grown in Southwest Indiana during the summer of 2022.
• Scale: 87 reported illnesses and 32 hospitalizations in the U.S. between July and September 2022.
• No recall issued — At the time cantaloupes were identified as the source, the 2022 cantaloupe growing season (May–July) had already ended. As a result, contaminated melons were unlikely to be on the market; therefore, a recall was not initiated.

2023 (Sep) — Salmonella Newport – Arizona Cantaloupe Outbreak – Southwest Indiana

• Pathogen: Salmonella Newport
• Source: In 2023, an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections included 11 ill people and five hospitalizations reported in six states. On September 27, 2023, a distributor issued a voluntary recall due to the recovery of Salmonella from cantaloupe grown in Arizona.

2023 (Nov–Dec) — Salmonella Sundsvall & Oranienburg Outbreak – Malichita/Rudy Brand, Mexico 

• Pathogen: Salmonella Sundsvall and Salmonella Oranienburg
• Source: FDA’s traceback investigation identified Sofia Produce, LLC dba TruFresh of Nogales, AZ; Crown Jewels Produce of Fresno, CA; and Pacific Trellis Fruit dba Dulcinea of Fresno, CA as suppliers of the potentially contaminated “Malichita” or “Rudy” brand cantaloupes.
• Retailers affected: Multiple nationwide grocery chains recalled products, including Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Aldi, and Walmart.
• Scale: 407 people infected from 44 states. Of 362 with information available, 158 (44%) were hospitalized. Six deaths reported — four from Minnesota, one from Indiana, one from Oregon.
• Declared over: January 19, 2024

2024 — Salmonella Recall – Eagle Produce LLC Recall – Kandy Brand, Arizona (Precautionary)

• Source: Arizona-based Eagle Produce LLC recalled 224 cases of whole cantaloupes sold under the Kandy brand. The affected melons were sold in Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia between August 13 and 17.
• Scale: No illnesses had been reported as of the recall announcement.

2026 — Salmonella Newport – Ayco Farms Inc. Outbreak – Guatemala

• Pathogen: Salmonella Newport
• Source: The Salmonella Newport strain was linked to cantaloupe imported from Guatemala by Ayco Farms Inc. of Pompano Beach, FL.
• Recall: The cantaloupes were sold by Ayco Farms Inc., which first initiated a recall on March 24. On April 20, the FDA upgraded the recall to Class I, meaning consuming the fruit could lead to severe health consequences or death. The melons were sold in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and California.
• Scale: 70 people across 25 states became infected with Salmonella Newport.
• Declared over: May 2026

Year	Pathogen	Source / Brand	States	Ill	Deaths
2011 (Mar)	Salmonella Newport	Del Monte / Guatemala	Recall	0	0
2011 (Jun)	Salmonella	Eagle Produce, AZ	Recall	0	0
2011 (Sep–Oct)	Listeria	Jensen Farms (CO)	28	147	33
2012	Salmonella Typhimurium/Newport	Chamberlain Farms (IN)	24	261	3
2017	Salmonella Newport	Pre-cut melon, WA/OR	2	24	0
2018	Salmonella Adelaide	Caito Foods (IN)	9	77	0
2019	Salmonella Carrau	Caito Foods (IN)	10	137	0
2020	Salmonella Newport	Midwest melon farm	14	165	0
2020	Salmonella (precautionary)	Eagle Produce / Kandy	Recall	0	0
2022	Salmonella Typhimurium	Indiana grower	11	87	0
2023 (Sep)	Salmonella Newport	Arizona distributor	6	11	0
2023 (Nov–Dec)	Salmonella Sundsvall/Oranienburg	Malichita/Rudy (Mexico)	44	407	6
2024	Salmonella (precautionary)	Eagle Produce / Kandy	5	0	0
2026	Salmonella Newport	Ayco Farms / Guatemala	25	70	0

Cantaloupe has an unfortunate track record as a high-risk produce item, largely due to its rough, netted rind that harbors bacteria and the fact that it’s usually eaten raw. The 2011 Jensen Farms Listeria outbreak remains the deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in the U.S. in modern history.