Caribena Brand papayas packed in 35 lb. cartons marked with the brand "Caribena" and "Product of Mexico" stamped on the side. Each papaya bears a label which states "3112 CARIBENA Papaya MARADOL PRODUCT OF MEXICO www.grandeproduce.com" Papayas are packed in boxes of 8-12 papayas per box

Recall Insight

This FDA Food action (record #F-1643-2013) was formally reported on July 17, 2013, with the manufacturer initiating the action on May 15, 2012. It is classified under Critical severity (Class I), with a current status of Terminated. Caribe Produce is listed as the recalling firm, operating out of San Juan, TX. Federal records indicate 1,152 cartons each with 35 lbs. of product units are affected, a scale large enough to require multi-state distribution tracking.

The documented reason for this recall is: Product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: NJ and NC. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by FDA Food. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 13 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.