NC farm recalls melons after listeria found

Burch Farms has recalled all cantaloupes and honeydew melons it grew this year because of possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

The FDA found Listeria monocytogenes or L. mono on a honeydew melon and at the packing facility in Faison, North Carolina, it announced in a news release.

The melons were sold to distributors in 18 states along the East Coast and in the Midwest but may have been resold in other states.

Consumers can identify the affected cantaloupes by stickers (either Burch Farms or Cottle Strawberry) attached to them.

People concerned they have bought Burch Farm honeydew melons should call the store where they purchased them and ask where the melons originated. Those melons do not have a sticker.

The FDA says it doesn't know of anyone getting sick because of eating these products.

Listeriosis is preceded by flu-like symptoms including a fever, according to the FDA website. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. People at risk include infants, pregnant women, adults with weakened immune systems and older adults.

It can take several weeks before becoming sick, the FDA said.