In March 2011 Public health officials linked Del Monte Fresh Produce cantaloupe sold at Costco locations in the Western United States to a Salmonella Panama outbreak that resulted in at least 13 people becoming ill and 3 hospitalized in the following 5 states: Washington (4 cases), Oregon (5 cases), California (2 cases), Colorado (1) Maryland (1 case).
Del Monte recalled 4,992 cartons of cantaloupe that distributed to Costco locations in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. This was the third cantaloupe recall Del Monte has had since 2009.
On March 24, Marler Clark called on Del Monte to pay the Salmonella victims' medical bills.
On March 31, 2011,Marler Clark filed a Salmonella lawsuit on behalf of a 12-year-old girl who was hospitalized after eating Salmonella contaminated Del Monte cantaloupe. The case was resolved nearly one year to the date the Salmonella lawsuit was filed.