Tainted cantaloupe toll rises to 55 ill, 8 dead

[Flying Horse]

Del Monte Fresh Produce resists safety regulations.
....Del Monte Fresh Produce has accused federal and state regulators of bullying andoverreacing in a case involving contaminated melons.

This monrning I wrote the above quote in my US news issues section. Now it appears that the problem is greater than inferred by that paragraph. The told of listeria food poisoing infections tied to contaminated cantaloupe has risen sharply with federal ffficials reporting 55 sickened and eight dead in 14 states after eating the tainted fruit, ,up from 35 illnesses and four deaths in 10 states. Local, state and federal health officials are investigating the widening outbreak tied to Rocky Ford-region brand whole cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms of HOlly, Colo. between july 29th and Sept 10th to at least 17 states and maybe more.
The victims have been found to be infected with fours strains of listeria associated with the outbreak. Among victims who supplied information to health investigators, the illnesses began on or after Aug. 4. They range in age from 35 to 96, with a median age of 78. At least 43 people have been hospitalized in connection with the outbreak. More illnesses are possible, as those that occurred after Aug. 28 may not have been reported yet. Listeriosis is a serious foodborne infection that can cause illness and death in older adults, pregnant women and those with underlying medical conditions and compromised immune systems. Infections are usually caused by contaminated lunch meat, hot dogs and Mexican-style cheeses, not by produce. Illnesses could continue to be reported through October because people can develp listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food. And listeria bacteria can grow even if refrigerated. So consumers should discard any cantaloupe they may have, even if they have eaten it and not become ill.

[Coldwarrior]

The bacteria causing this problem resides on the skin of the melon. Cantalope with their ridges and depressions are ideal places for it to stay.
When someone slices the melon, the knife drags the bacteria to the flesh which the people eat.
Not sure about this technique but it seems to me that a spray bottle with a weak solution of Clorox and water would reduce the chance of illness or a water bath of the same solution should be even better. It would only take a few minutes to work. Then the melon can be rinsed with clear water.

[Forever Sunshine]

I had purchased a cantaloupe just before this news aired. I have no idea where the cantaloupe came form but didn't chance it anyway. I tossed it out.

[moxie]

I won't even buy cantaloupe from the local farmer now.

[Flying Horse]

Moxie--don't go to extremes. Try CW's suggestion - washing the cantaloupe in a chlorox solution first. And remember the tainted cantaloupe came from Guatemala.

[susala]

I just got a message from WebMD that says that any cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford area of Colorado should be tightly sealed in a bag and disposed of in a sealed trash receptacle.

It also said that washing suspect cantaloupes is not safe because the listeria can appear both on the outside and the inside of the melon.

My advice is to stick to watermelon.

[Flying Horse]

or honeydew. The smooth skin melons

[Flying Horse]

UPDATE: Cantaloupe listeria toll continues to rise: 116 sick, 23 dead.
An outbreak of listeria infections tied to contaminated Colorado cantaloupe has now sickened 116 people and left 23 dead, federal health officials reported Wednesday, making this the deadliest outbreak in more than 25 years. In addition, one pregnant woman who became ill had a miscarriage. The rising toll reflects illnesses and deaths in 25 states caused by four outbreak strains of listeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of the illnesses began on or after July 31, but more are expected because people can develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food. Deaths have been reported in a dozen states, including five in Colorado; five in New Mexico; two each in Kansas, Louisiana and Texas; and one each in Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Illnesses have been reported in people aged 22 to 96, with a median age of 78. Most of those sickened are older than 60. Four of the illnesses were related to a pregnancy; one was diagnosed in a newborn and three were diagnosed in pregnant women.
Recalls tied to the outbreak include more than 300,000 cases of whole cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, and two different recalls of cut cantaloupe: A Sept. 23 recall of nearly 600 pounds of fresh cantaloupe from Carol's Cuts LLC of Kansas and an Oct. 6 recall of nearly 5,000 individual packages of cantaloupe by Fruit Fresh Up Inc. of Depew, N.Y.