Listeria Outbreak CO, TX,- Wash Cantaloupes Before Cutting

[otohara]

Of the 12 reported listeria cases, nine have been linked to individuals who have eaten cantaloupe, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced. One of them died. There are also two cases in Texas and one in Nebraska, also linked to cantaloupe consumption. Preliminary results point to cantaloupe as the likely source.

There have been two deaths in Colorado from listeriosis, but only one is due to having consumed cantaloupe.

CDPHE chief medical officer, Dr. Chris Urbina, says they do not yet know where the melons were sold.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234211.php


The bacteria is on the outside of the fruit and when cut, it spreads to the fruit.
Wash in hot water with soap before cutting.

[seabeyond]

1. thank you. i do it with oranges... didt think about cantelope. i dont know why

appreciate.

[QC]

2. Any word as to where these cantaloupes were grown? n/t

[otohara]

5. Not Yet

but in reading about the dirtiest foods list, the only fruits listed were Cantaloupe and Peaches.

Cantaloupe

The dirt: File this under "Who knew?" When the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs. And because you eat melons raw, the bacteria go right down your gullet. That's a big part of the reason why from 1990 to 2001, produce in general has sickened as many people as have beef and poultry combined.http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-watch/10-potentially-contaminated-foods/

I'll be washing all my cantaloupes in the future.

[Aerows]

6. What's the matter with peaches?

They are my favorite fruit. Has there been an outbreak on peaches, too? I always wash mine, and plums, too, but it makes me worry if now they are saying you need to use soap.

[otohara]

7. Pesticides - Stick to Fuzzy Peach

they are doused in pesticides - especially towards the time they're ready to pick.

Wash off the fuzz or better yet, peel that peach.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Thanks, some good tips in that link ...

including the last one.

"The sponge is the most dangerous item in the house because of the organisms potentially living in it," says Tierno."

But going back to the cantaloupes ...

"At home: Because cantaloupe grows on the ground and has a netted exterior, it's easy for Salmonella to sneak on, and once on, it's hard to clean off. Scrub the fruit with a dab of mild dishwashing liquid for 15 to 30 seconds under running water. And make sure you buy a scrub brush that you use exclusively to clean fruits and vegetables; otherwise it could become cross-contaminated."

[Possumpoint]

3. If Only

Food processors would irradate raw food with electrons these disease problems would disappear. Dispite all the claims otherwise, there isn't any adverse effects on the food.

[kestrel91316]

4. And nothing could possibly ever go wrong with that approach, like

theft of radioactive materials or leakage or danger to employees. Or unforseen biological consequences like killing off natural bacteria that serve to outcompete pathogens on surfaces of produce.

And of course, consumers wouldn't have to pay a dime more for this "protection" from producer negligence.

Because you have to be truly negligent to contaminate cantaloupe with frickin' LISTERIA.

And yes, I do have a BS in microbiology.

[GentryDixon]

8. I even wash my bananas

before I put them in the fruit bowl.

[laundry_queen]

11. I've never thought of that.

Has there been cases involving bananas though? I know cantaloupe is commonly known to be contaminated. I use a scrub brush and dish soap on all melons before I cut them. Never thought about bananas though. Pineapple concerns me too, I have NO idea how to wash the outside. I usually cut the outside off then wash the inner fruit and knife and cutting board before I slice it into smaller pieces. I will admit to being really lax about oranges and lemons though - I only wash if I need the rind. Guess I should really be washing everything with a peel. I also re-wash bagged salads - did that even before that big spinach e-coli break out. All those bagged veggies just smell bad when you open the bag, even if they look good. Makes me wonder.

[GentryDixon]

13. I have a compromised immune system

so I am freaky about any type of contaminant. Think about who has been handling that banana. And then think about it touching the fruit you did wash. It is best to err on the side of caution.

[sfpcjock]

10. Thanks n/t

[Jamastiene]

12. I like to be proven right when people pick on me...

but not this way. Those poor people. :(

I always wash cantaloupe before eating it. I wash anything and everything I can before eating it, to be honest. I get picked on relentlessly about it, usually.

I hate to see people hurt because of this. :(