Sundia Cantaloupe Recalled Due to Salmonella

A melon farm in Colorado has issued a recall of cantaloupe following a Listeria outbreak that has killed at least two people, sickened 22 and spread to several states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the deaths from the outbreak were reported in Colorado and New Mexico, and state health departments said more deaths could be confirmed once testing comes back. {Info from, Washington Post}

They think that at least 17 states have received contaminated cantaloupe!

There have been at least 22 listeriosis cases reported in seven of those states, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Many of those cases were in New Mexico.

Jensen Farms, of Holly, Colo., voluntarily issued a recall of its cantaloupe Wednesday after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment advised people to avoid eating cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford area because of the listeria outbreak.
At least 10 New Mexicans were hospitalized with a listeriosis infection in the last three weeks, and four people died from the infection as of Thursday afternoon, said Dr. Paul Ettestad, an epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health.
None of the people with a listeriosis infection were from San Juan County.
{Info From, The Daily Times. }

WHAT IS LISTERIOSIS

Listeriosis is a bacterial infection usually caused by eating contaminated foods, Ettestad said.

The listeria bacteria can be found in soil, animal excrement, food processing plants or delivery trucks, he said.

It is likely the cantaloupes have the listeria bacteria on their rinds and the bacteria seeps into the melon through a crack or when the fruit is sliced, he said.

The infection does not affect everyone who is exposed to listeria. Some people get gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. The infection can spread to the blood stream and people can develop life-threatening meningitis or encephalitis, he said.

The safe bet is to throw away all Rocky Ford cantaloupes from that farm purchased from Walmart or Whole Foods.

{My personal recommendation is don't eat any cantaloupe from any stores for a while.}