Fresh Del Monte Produce recalls cantaloupe

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. food company Fresh Del Monte Produce said on Tuesday it was recalling nearly 5,000 cartons of cantaloupes which may be contaminated with a form of salmonella.

The cantaloupes were distributed through warehouse clubs in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, the company said.

The company said the cantaloupe recall followed notification from U.S. health regulators there was a link between the cantaloupes and about 12 reported cases of salmonella panama, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems.

The company said it put on hold the production and distribution of the product from the affected farm. It said it and the FDA would continue investigating where in the supply chain the contamination occurred.

(Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Dan Lalor)