Cantaloupe Outcome and New Recalls of Other Foods

Cantaloupes have been in the news since September 14, when Jensen Farms in Colorado announced a recall of its product because of a possible health risk.  Jensen’s tainted cantaloupes wound up in 26 states, causing 133 illnesses, 1 miscarriage, and 28 deaths. It has become the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak since 1985.  Therefore, you, and millions of other Americans, may be wondering the following: What caused this deadly contamination?  Is it safe to resume eating cantaloupes now?  How can I avoid getting sick from cantaloupe in the future?  The information below will deal with these questions.  It will also tell you—just what you may not want to hear—news about more recent recalls.

Cantaloupes

Probable cause(s) of this outbreak:  According to the FDA, the likely cause of this listeria outbreak, which started in late July, was the Jensen Farms packing site.  The FDA found there “dirty equipment, faulty sanitation, and bad storage practices,” which included “standing pools of water, inaccessible drains, hard-to-clean equipment and failure to cool cantaloupes fresh from the field before placing them in cold storage.”  (As the cantaloupes cooled in cold storage, there could have been condensation that led to the growth of listeria.)  Phew!  That’s a long list of possible causes.  Another possible cause related to a dump truck that came in contact with a cattle yard and was then parked near a processing plant for whole melons.  (Cattle often carry listeria, the bacteria that caused this disaster.) 

An additional scary part of this story was the revelation that the Jensen packing plant had passed a third party safety audit just a few days before the contamination was discovered; in fact, according to the New York Times, the Jensen facility received an excellent rating--a score of 96 out of 100 possible points.  Unfortunately, good ratings followed by a food-borne illness outbreak are not rare. Are third party auditors inadequately trained to detect unhealthful conditions, or is their leniency inspired by the desire to get hired again by the company being evaluated? Perhaps, in some cases, the answer to both questions is “yes.” The university blog barfblog.edu compares third party audits to higher education’s mail-order diploma mills.  Though third party auditors have long been part of food safety checks in the U.S, it may be time for the system to be reconsidered and improved. 

History of cantaloupe contamination: According to the New York Times, federal officials reported that cantaloupe consumption has led to 19 previous outbreaks, more than 1,000 illnesses, and 3 deaths. 

Are cantaloupes safe now?  The contaminated Jensen Farms cantaloupes are very unlikely to be in the stores now because they would be rotten by this time.  Also, remember that the entire outbreak has been associated only with Jensen Farm cantaloupes. Cantaloupes from other sources remained safe to eat during this outbreak and, hopefully, continue to be safe.

What consumers can do to protect themselves:  Any foods that are not cooked carry some risk of contamination.  However, the solution is not to give up eating raw fruits and vegetables. That would eliminate lot of delicious foods and probably lead to a less nutritious diet.  The better approach is to follow the procedures listed below when dealing with produce to be consumed uncooked.  These will reduce the risk of food-borne illness, but they won’t completely eliminate it. It’s especially difficult to successfully clean all the very bumpy surface of a cantaloupe. Some dirt and bacteria that get into nooks and crannies may be visible only microscopically.

-          Wash your hands well (for 20 seconds and including washing between your fingers) before and after handling any raw foods.

-          Rinse produce well, but not until immediately before you’re going to consume or serve it.

-          Wash the OUTSIDE of a cantaloupe or other melons.  Food scientist Dr. Karin Allen also recommends scrubbing melons with a brush and even using a little dish soap on the exterior of produce if the outside isn’t going to be eaten.  When you cut a melon, microorganisms can be transferred from the skin to the flesh, so it’s worth a few extra minutes to try to get all the dirt off the exterior. 

-          Before cutting up a head of lettuce, remove the outer leaves and discard them.  Cut only what you plan to use for your next meal.  Rinse and pat the lettuce dry.  (Bacteria multiply faster on wet leaves.) 

-          Don’t cross-contaminate!  Don’t cut that cantaloupe or lettuce on a cutting board or with a knife that has just been used for raw meat, chicken, or any other raw food.   Clean and sanitize utensils that are used with raw food, or wash them in the dishwasher.

Recent Recalls of Other Foods

There are many reasons for recalls besides contamination (for example, an undeclared allergen or a foreign body in the product), but those listed below are all recent ones due to bacterial contamination.  If you have any of these products in your kitchen, check the links below to learn more about these recalls (specific dates and codes).

Updated, October 31 Butter cookies: Rite Aid, a national drugstore chain with stores in 31 states, has recalled 85,000 tins of butter cookies distributed under the brand name “Rich  Fields”   because of the possibility of a microorganism (Bacillus cereus)  that can cause gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting).  This recall affects only 12 oz. tins featuring either a castle or Christmas designs. These tins are sold exclusively in Rite Aid stores.  

Organic eggs recall and outbreak:  On October 19, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Dept. of Health issued a press release announcing that they are investigating the illnesses of at least 6 Minnesota residents in connection with a recall of organic shell eggs due to contamination with salmonella.

The contaminated eggs have been traced to the Larry Schultz Organic Farm of Owatonna.  Eggs from this farm have been distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, food wholesale and foodservice companies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. For additional information about this recall and outbreak, click here.   Reminder: Always cook eggs and egg dishes to 160°F or until neither the whites nor the yolks are runny.

Bagged spinach (2 recalls): Church Brothers, LLC has recalled 560 bags of clipped spinach after one bag tested positive for Salmonella. The product was shipped to Super King Markets in Los Angeles. No illnesses related to this product have been reported so far. For more information about this recall, click here.  Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc. has recalled fresh bagged washed spinach due to listeria found in one sample. The product was sold in Fresh & Easy stores in California, Nevada, and Arizona.  For more information, click here.

Salad blends:  Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. has recalled 3,265 cases of various salad blends with the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.  The products were distributed in 15 states and Puerto Rico.  No illnesses have yet been attributed to the recalled items.  For more specific information about the particular states and produce involved, click here.

Sandwiches:  Nike All-American Sandwich—1,751 cases- have been recalled by Landshire of St. Louis, Mo. For more information on this recall, click here.

Pine nuts: Wegman Food Markets, Inc. has recalled approximately 5,000 lbs.  of Turkish pine nuts sold in the Bulk Foods Department of most Wegman’s  stores in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland between July 1- October 18 due to possible salmonella contamination. The recall also involves foods made with these nuts, such as  Caprese salads and pesto. So far, 44 people have become ill with the bacteria associated with this recall.   To learn more about this recall, click here or google CNN Health, 5,000 pounds of pine nuts recalled. 

Source(s):

Chicago Trbune, October 26, 2011, page 18.

Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences

barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog “Killer cantaloupe facility got big thumbs up from auditor…”
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/151015/11/10/20/killer-cantaloupe-facility-got-big-thumbs-auditor-days-outbreak-what-retailers-

rttnews.com “What Caused Listeria Contamination at Jensen Farms?”
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BiotechStory.aspx?Id=1737716&Category=FDARecall

roadscholarawareness.org “Listeria Possibly Entered Packing Facility Through Contaminated Dump Truck…”
http://www.roadscholarawareness.org/listeria-possibly-entered-packing-facility-through-contaminated-dump-truck-causing-cantaloupe-contamination/

FDA.gov “Jensen Farms Recalls Cantaloupe Due to Possible Health Risk”
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm271879.htm