The FDA's Cantaloupe Recall Has Received the Highest Risk Rating

If you are someone who enjoys a bit of fresh fruit from time to time, you're going to want to pay very close attention to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) latest recall. That's because the agency has issued a massive cantaloupe recall due to salmonella risk.

Thousands of cantaloupes have been caught up in the recall, which covers multiple states across the U.S., and while the recall was initially issued in March 2026, it has received an update after new information was obtained.

That includes an update to the recall's risk rating, which involved the FDA giving it the highest classification it can due to the potential for adverse health outcomes.

If you have recently purchased cantaloupe in the U.S., you're going to want to find out why the FDA has issued this recall, which fruits are involved, and how you can tell if you've purchased or consumed some of the recalled items. Otherwise, there is the potential for you to become very sick as a result.

On Mar. 24, 2026, the FDA shared a recall notice on its website, explaining how AYCO Farms Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida, had issued a recall of its whole, fresh cantaloupe due to a potential Salmonella contamination. The recalled fruit was sold in plastic bags that were packaged in carboard cartons, with between 6-12 per box.

The directions on the box included a message about keeping the fruits refrigerated, and the company estimated that 8,302 of these cartons were involved in the recall.

The recalled cantaloupes contain lot numbers on the packages, and some of the following lots were included:

• GC26257
• GC26270
• GC26288
• GC26289
• GC26290
• GC26294
• GC26299
• SCX2601
• SCX2606
• SCX2611

You can get a full list of all of the lot numbers included in the recall by visiting the FDA's website.

These products were sold across four states, including Pennsylvania, Florida, California, and New York. The recall notes that there was no foreign disruption of this specific batch.

On Apr. 20, 2026, the FDA updated the recall to a Class I recall, which is the agency's highest recall level, according to the FDA's website. The Class I ranking is reserved for cases where "there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

The company released a press release about the recall, which was viewed by Fox News. According to the publication, the recall was issued as a "precautionary measure."

It does not sound like there have been any injuries or illnesses as a result of this recall, nor does it sound like any are expected at this time. That is especially true since Fox News says that the fruits were distributed to retailers in December and January, which means any uneaten products would've gone bad by now and would likely have already been tossed, unless they were cut and frozen for extended use.