On January 11, the Center for Produce Safety held a meeting to pinpoint gaps in the food safety system for cantaloupes. Last year, the Jensen Farms cantaloupe Listeria outbreak killed 30 people, caused one miscarriage, and sickened 146.
Produce has not been typically linked with food poisoning. Most people think of meat and eggs are primary vectors for foodborne illness. But a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that one-third of the foodborne outbreaks in 2011 were from produce.
The groups stressed several points they want to study:
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- Better understanding of Listeria contamination in produce. Since most produce is eaten raw, bacterial contamination is especially problematic.
- How bacteria infect cantaloupe and other produce throughout the supply chain.
- Research on how bacteria survive on produce, surfaces, and processing equipment.
- Development of treatments to reduce bacteria on cantaloupe.
- Review of all current produce growing and packing guidelines.
- Plans to write new safety guidelines just for cantaloupes.
The United Fresh Produce Association, the Produce Marketing Association, and the Western Growers Association attended the meeting, along with other associations from across the country and the produce industry. After the meeting, the California Cantaloupe Group called for mandatory government inspections on their crops as a way to assure consumers that the fruit is safe.
