Contaminated Cantaloupes Can Take Down Consumers
By John Millrany - May 29, 2001How sweet is your cantaloupe? More important, how safe is
it?
California’s Department of Health wants you to be
circumspect of your casaba because, no fooling, a dirty cantaloupe could kill
you—and someone could wind up with a nasty cantaloupe injury claim.
Following a recent outbreak of salmonella foodborne disease
associated with eating the melon in California (and seven other states), State
Health Director Diana Bonta, RN, DrPH, has reminded consumers to always
thoroughly wash the skin of all fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw
before chowing down.
"Contamination can occur when a consumer cuts through a
cantaloupe rind that has not been scrubbed with a brush under cool running water
immediately before eating," Bonta said, pointing out that consumers should also
wash their hands before and after handling the fruit and refrigerate unused cut
portions immediately.
When a cascade of casabas poured into the marketplace this
spring, California reported 17 illnesses and the death of a Riverside woman
from contaminated melons between April 6-24. Thirteen other cases of illness
were reported in Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee and
Washington in the same general time frame.
An uncommon type of salmonella, "salmonella poona," caused
the outbreak in California, Bonta said. Five persons in Los Angeles, three in
Orange, two each in Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura and one each in
Alameda, San Benito and San Diego counties became ill. Six, including the woman
who died, were over 60 and five were under 5 years old.
While most of the individuals ate melons purchased whole and
cut at home, some ate pre-cut cantaloupes purchased from supermarkets or were
served cantaloupes in restaurants—so even food service crews need to be doubly
alert.
Department of Health Services investigators, who are
tracking the source of contamination, said it was likely that contaminated
fruit was imported into the US. Domestic production of cantaloupes has not
begun in California and Arizona, and production has only recently begun in
Texas.
Health officials note that cantaloupe has been implicated in
previous salmonella outbreak, including a multistate outbreak of more than 46
cases (26 in California) due to salmonella poona in 2000, 400 cases attributed
to poona in 1991 and an outbreak in California of more than 20 cases due to
"salmonella saphra" in 1977.
Because cantaloupes are grown on the ground, their skin can
become contaminated in the field by human or animal waste, or during
distribution prior to sale.
Symtomwise, salmonella poona can include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
Symptoms generally develop one to three days after eating tainted food. While
most who fall ill from poona recover in three to five days without medical
attention, the infection can be life threatening to young children, the elderly
and those with compromised immune systems.
Consumers should consult their physician if they have these
symptoms. | 
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