A Bi-Lo grocery store in Glennville, GA, is recalling freshcut cantaloupe three days after state officials notified the chain that a random sample collected at the store tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The store, at 312 S. Veterans Blvd. in Glennville, posted the recall notice with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today. The notice says the positive test result was “communicated” to Bi-Lo on Monday, five days after the sell-by date on the freshcut fruit. All products containing freshcut cantaloupe and sold at the Veterans Boulevard location in Glennville are covered by the recall. The recall notice did not specify whether the cantaloupe was cut at the store or in a centralized kitchen. “The product is marked on the scale label as ‘BI-LO Cantaloupe Chunks Medium,’ in medium plastic bowls with a lid, and had a sell-by date of Feb. 24,” according to the notice on the FDA website. As a precaution, all BI-LO brand products containing fresh cantaloupe with a sell-by date of Feb. 24 are also being recalled at the single Bi-Lo location in Glennville:

• Cantaloupe chunks, sizes medium and large, in plastic bowls with lids;
• Cantaloupe halves in styrofoam trays wrapped in clear plastic;
• Cantaloupe slices in styrofoam trays wrapped in clear plastic;
• Mixed melon chunks, sizes medium and large, in plastic bowls with lids;
• Mixed fruit bowl, sizes medium and large, in plastic bowls with lids; and
• Fruit tray cantaloupe in plastic trays with lids.

Listeria monocytogenes is a microscopic organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals sickened by listeria may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. “Customers should not consume these products and should return them to the store for a full refund. To receive the refund, customers may present proof of purchase through a receipt or the product-packaging label,” according to the recall notice. “Bi-Lo (store number) 5744 has been fully compliant with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and has sanitized all areas of the store as requested, as well as the complete withdrawal and destruction of all fresh cantaloupe products within the affected sell-by date range.” (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)