Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. Files Lawsuit Against FDA in U.S. District Court

Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. FDP, filed suit on Monday, August 22, 2011 against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to seek an injunction that would lift an FDA rule restricting the importation of wholesome fresh cantaloupes into the United States. Del Monte Fresh is one the largest importer of cantaloupes into the U.S. and is well known for selling fruit of the highest quality. The melons are farmed, processed, transported, and stored under state-of-the-art food safety controls that far exceed FDA regulatory requirements. Del Monte Fresh's claims are based on the FDA's (and several other state health agency officials') erroneous speculation, unsupported by scientific evidence, that cantaloupes previously imported by Del Monte Fresh from a Guatemalan farm and packing facility were contaminated with the pathogen Salmonella. In fact, neither the FDA nor any state health agency in the U.S. has offered evidence or data to support the FDA action.