Dole recalls contaminated cantaloupes

Dole Fresh Fruit Co. recalled several thousand cartons of imported cantaloupes Friday after the fruit tested positive for salmonella.

The recall, which covers the eastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec, is the second sparked by salmonella fears this week.

On Wednesday, ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled its Peter Pan brand and certain batches of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value house brand of peanut butter after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak that had sickened nearly 300 people in 39 states.

Dole said there had been no reports of illness due to the contaminated cantaloupes, which were grown in Costa Rica.

The Westlake Village company said the recall covered about 6,100 cartons of cantaloupes distributed to wholesalers from Feb. 5 to Feb. 8.

Salmonella sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600. It can cause diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends consumers wash the outer surface of melons with cool tap water before slicing into them. If they’re not washed, the cutting can spread contamination from the outer skin to the flesh of the fruit.