A southwest Montrealer who contracted salmonellosis after eating one of the melons now recalled in Canada is the spark behind the collection effort that began in Quebec earlier this month.
Towards the end of October, according to court documents, the main complainant had a whole melon delivered in a grocery delivery box and allegedly purchased another at a grocery store in the Sud-Ouest district. Authorization of a Class Action.
The Montrealer ate his melons in early November and suffered from “a serious illness, including severe abdominal cramps and vomiting,” according to the documents.
He had to be hospitalized in Verdun hospital for six days after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of salmonella upon admission.
“The plaintiff’s illness was a direct result of a salmonella infection from the recalled products. This caused significant physical distress, mental anguish, emotional trauma and increased concern for the applicant's health,” it said.
The plaintiff would therefore like to pursue the cantaloupe brands Malichita – which has been the subject of a recall since November 1 – and Sofia Produce.
The class action lawsuit was filed on December 12 by law firm Slater Vecchio LLP, which aims to identify Quebecers who purchased a recalled cantaloupe sold between October 10 and November 24.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), seven people have died as of December 22, while 164 cases of salmonellosis linked to recalled melons have been recorded. Quebec has the most cases with 111 confirmed contaminations.