Recalls: Cantaloupes and Ground Turkey

Cantaloupes:

October 1 update on listeria outbreak caused by cantaloupe:

The death toll from the multistate listeria outbreak caused by tainted cantaloupe has now reached 15, and, so far, 84 people in 19 states have become ill. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) said that it is expecting additional illnesses and perhaps more deaths because listeria has a long incubation period.  Symptoms can appear any time from 1 week to 2 months after contaminated food is consumed.  The microorganism is particularly deadly for the elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems.

Source(s):

Chicago Tribune, October 1, 2011.

CNN Evening News, October 1, 2011.

September 27 update on tainted cantaloupe: CNN has reported that contaminated cantaloupes have now been linked to 72 illnesses in 18 states. The outbreak has resulted in 13 deaths.  For more information, click here. 

September 14: Announcemenet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

A total of 16 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 5 states.  All illnesses started on or after August 15, 2011. The number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows:  Colorado (11 cases, 1 death), Indiana (1), Nebraska (1), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (2). 

-Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory investigations have linked this outbreak to eating cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of [southern] Colorado.

-CDC recommends that persons at high risk for listeriosis, including older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, do not eat cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado. 

-FDA is working closely with CDC, the firms involved, and public health authorities in states where illnesses occurred to determine the exact source of contamination.

-Suspected cases are being investigated in several other states.

Since this announcement appeared online, New Mexico became the 6^th state to report  listeria illnesses of people who had consumed cantaloupe--10 more cases including 3 fatalities.

The FDA has not yet issued a recall on the cantaloupes in question while they are working to locate the outbreak's source.  Local farmers who depend upon cantaloupe sales are not convinced that their product is the source of the outbreak.

Coincidentally, Del Monte recently filed a suit against the agency in regard to another cantaloupe outbreak in March of 2011. (The company wants the FDA to lift its restriction on Guatemalan cantaloupes suspected of containing salmonella.) So why no recall yet when this is a multistate outbreak involving deaths?  We called Pritzger Olsen attorneys, the law firm that handles legal matters involving most food outbreaks in this country, to get the answer.  Ryan Osterholm explained that the Rocky Ford region is strongly suspected of being the source of the contaminated products, but the investigators have not been able to tie it down to a particular producer. 

Meanwhile, New Mexico and Albuquerque have issued voluntary recalls of cantaloupes from the Rocky Ford region, and other states and cities may follow its lead.

The CDC says that this marks the first listeria outbreak in the U.S. that's linked to cantaloupe. Listeria is very widely distributed in the environment and is generally water-borne, so it often originates from unclean water sources, drains, and so on.  Listeria is most likely to become a problem in cured meat products such as hot dogs and bologna for these reasons:  It can grow slowly in refrigeration; 2) unlike most other bacteria, it tolerates the sodium nitrite that is used to "cure" the meat; and 3) it is "microaerophilic," that is, it likes a very small amount of oxygen in its environment, so it thrives in the vacuum-packaging of many cured meat products.

Source(s):

CDC.gov "Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Rocky Ford Cantaloupes"
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/listeriosis/outbreak.html

foodsafetynews.com"Del Monte Sues FDA over Cantaloupe Recall, Import Resricitions
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/del-monte-sues-fda-over-cantaloupe-restrictions/

cbsnews.com "Listeria deaths prompt CDC warning about cantaloupe: Which kind?"
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20106021-10391704.html

ShelfLifeAdvice.com  "What foods are likely to be contaminated by listeria?"
http://shelflifeadvice.com/faq/what-foods-are-likely-be-contaminated-listeria

foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com "Cantaloupe Outbreak Hits Indiana"
http://foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com/

Ground Turkey:

Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Heidelberg.  The recall involves fresh ground turkey chubs, trays, and patties. To check if products you have in your home are a part of this recall, click here.

Salmonella Heidelberg is a serious matter because, says the Centers for Disease Control, it's a strain that's resistant to many antibiotics.  If all this sounds familiar, it's because, in March 2011, a Cargill ground turkey recall for the same type of salmonella led to one of the largest meat recalls ever.  To read about that recall, just type "Cargill" into this site's search engine.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on August 23, 24, 30 and 31 of this year.  These products were distributed at the retail level nationwide.

Consumers with questions about this recall should contact Cargill's consumer relations toll free telephone number at 1-888-812-1646.