According to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, honeydews, cantaloupes, and melons produced by Burch Equipment, LLC of North Carolina are being recalled because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
"It’s going to be very difficult to determine whether honeydews are subject to this recall or not. Consumers will need to check where they bought their honeydews to see if the vendors have any information regarding the source," said Commissioner Douglass.
Cantaloupes and honeydews involved were distributed between June 23rd and July 27th. Whole cantaloupes were identified with red labels reading "Burch Farms, PLU 4319." Though all cantaloupes involved are from Burch Farms, some may be labeled "Cottle Strawberry, Inc PLU 4319." The honeydews involved were not labelled but were packed in cartons simply labeled "melons."
"This is another example of the importance of government food safety programs and the technology they rely upon to protect public health. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture desperately needs to relocate its laboratories, but we’re still looking for the necessary funding. Although this is an expensive proposition, it is an investment that will pay dividends to the well-being of all West Virginians for many decades into the future," Douglass said.
Click here to read the department's press release in its entirety:
http://www.wvagriculture.org/news_releases/2012/8-14-12.html
