Listeria fears have prompted the recall of cantaloupe and honeydew melons from Burch Equipment, as well as Missa Bay's food products containing sliced and diced apples, the U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) has announced.

The cantaloupes were grown at Burch Farms, North Carolina, and have red labels bearing the farm name. However, some of the cantaloupes may have been identified with a 'Cottle Strawberry, Inc.' sticker, although the latter did not grow or process any of the cantaloupes being recalled.

Burch Farms cantaloupes were shipped in corrugated boxes, 9 cantaloupes per case, and in bulk bins. The Honeydew melons do not bear any identifying stickers and were packed in cartons labeled 'melon's.

The recalled fruit was sold to distributors between Jun. 23 and Jul. 27 in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont and West Virigina states.

Consumers who bought the melons are being urged to discard them. The recall was prompted following the Food and Drug Administration's finding of Listeria monocytogenes on a honeydew melon grown and packed by Burch.

Ready Pac Foods subsidiary Missa Bay is voluntarily recalling 293,488 cases and 296,224 individually distributed units of fruit, vegetable, and sandwich products containing apples with the use‐by dates of Jul. 8, 2012 through Aug. 20, 2012.

So far no illnesses have been associated with the recall prompted by the finding of Listeria monocytogenes on Missa Bay equipment and instigated by the firm's parent company.

The products were sent to retailers and foodservice operators in 38 states including those already mentioned in the melon recall.

Additional states affected include: Alabama Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Washington D.C., Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin states.

Retailers and foodservice operators are being asked to check their inventories and store shelves to confirm none of the product are present or available for consumer purchase or in warehouse inventories.

Consumers who may have purchased the product are being asked to record the use‐by date and, or UPC code number, throw the produce away and contact Ready Pac consumer affairs department.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

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