Ever since the huge and deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that was linked to whole melons produced by Jensen Farms in Colorado, I have been wary of cantaloupes, honeydew, and watermelon. While I did sometimes purchase precut melons, that ended when a Salmonella outbreak linked to precut melons sickened dozens in 2018. The current Salmonella Carrau melon outbreak has increased my resolve. How do you prepare safe melons in this day and age? The problem with this fruit is that the surface of melons is the perfect space for bacteria to grab onto and hold on. Melons, especially cantaloupe, have deep crenelations and a webbed, rough surface. Bacteria love to hide in those nooks and crannies. Even worse, some pathogens can produce a biofilm that covers bacterial colonies, protecting … [Read more...]
Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan Hard Hit by Precut Melon Salmonella Outbreak
People in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan have been hard hit by the melon Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states. The case count in each state is: Ohio (27), Indiana (18), Kentucky (16), and Michigan (19). The other states involved include Alabama (1), Illinois (5), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), and Wisconsin (1). The pathogen that has sickened people, Salmonella Carrau, is relatively rare in the United States. Officials are using the PulseNet system to find people who may be part of this outbreak, and more may be identified. PulseNet identified the outbreak on April 2, 2019. It makes sense that most of the victims are in those states, since the outbreak has been linked by the CDC and FDA to precut melons that were produced and … [Read more...]
Salmonella Contaminated Precut Melons Sold at Target, Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joes, Amazon/Whole Foods
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak linked to precut melons produced by Caito Foods has sickened at least 93 people. The Salmonella contaminated precut melons were sold at Kroger, Target, Trader Joes, Amazon/Whole Foods, Walmart stores, and independent grocery stores in several states under several different brand names. Caito Foods recalled precut melons in many different combinations and iterations on April 12, 2019, the day the outbreak was announced by the FDA and CDC. These products were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The outbreak states line up with where the melon was available: people are sick in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, … [Read more...]
History of Melon Outbreaks Is Long and Deadly
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak just announced by the CDC that is linked to precut melons produced by Caito Foods has sickened at least 93 people. This is not the first time that melons have caused food poisoning outbreaks in the United States. In fact, the history of melon outbreaks is long. Since 1985, there have been 1,520 illnesses, 297 hospitalizations, and 36 deaths linked to contaminated melon. Most of these outbreaks were linked to cantaloupes. One of the big problems with contamination on ready-to-eat foods is that there is no "kill step" before the food is eaten. That means the consumer does not heat the product, which would destroy pathogens. There is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes contamination on ready-to-eat foods, but no such law exists for … [Read more...]
How Does Salmonella Contaminate Precut Melon? Lawyer Explains
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak linked to Caito Foods precut melon has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states. We asked lawyer Fred Pritzker: how does Salmonella contaminate precut melon? He said, "This isn't the first time that precut melons have been contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. In 2018, a Salmonella Adelaide outbreak was linked to precut melon that was also produced by Caito Foods. At least 77 people were sickened in that outbreak. And in 2017 a Salmonella Newport outbreak in Washington state and Oregon was linked to precut fruit sold at several grocery stores. "Fresh fruit is not a natural vehicle for pathogens such as Salmonella. Salmonella outbreaks are typically linked to foods like chicken. So the fruit had to be contaminated somewhere along the chain of harvest … [Read more...]
Salmonella Carrau Outbreak Linked to Caito Foods Precut Melons
A Salmonella Carrau outbreak is linked to Caito Foods precut melons, and has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-three people are hospitalized because their illnesses are so severe. The patient case count by state is: Alabama (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (18), Kentucky (16), Michigan (19), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Ohio (27), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates range from March 4, 2019 to March 31, 2019. The patient age range is from less than one to 98. No deaths have been reported in this outbreak. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that precut melons supplied by Caito Foods are the likely source of this outbreak. Caito recalled a huge list of precut honeydew, cantaloupe, and … [Read more...]
Salmonella Carrau Outbreak Linked to Precut Melons
A Salmonella Carrau outbreak that is linked to precut melons traced to Caito Foods has been announced by the FDA. At least 93 people in 9 states are sick with the outbreak strain. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The states where ill people live are Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The FDA report did not state how many people are sick in each state. The last illness onset date was March 31, 2019. There was a Salmonella Adelaide outbreak in 2018, also linked to Caito Foods precut melons, that sickened at least 77 people in 9 states. Thirty-six people were hospitalized in that outbreak. The FDA is recommending that people not eat these precut melon products, which include cantaloupe, … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2018: Salmonella in Melons
It's time for the Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2018! Number 10 is the Salmonella Adelaide outbreak that was linked to pre-cut melons. It was very easy to choose this list this year, since there were so many outbreaks. Those that didn't make the list included the current romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak and the two Salmonella outbreaks that were linked to shell eggs. In this outbreak, at least 77 people in nine states were sickened. Thirty-six people were hospitalized, which is a very high percentage for a Salmonella outbreak. All of the epidemiologic and traceback evidenced found that pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods was the likely source of this outbreak. Most of those sickened said they ate pre-cut cantaloupe, watermelon, or a fruit salad mix made with melon from … [Read more...]
Is 2018 the Summer of Salmonella Outbreaks and Lawsuits?
We are only a month into the summer of 2018, but so far this year there have been five multistate Salmonella outbreaks that have sickened at least 553 people. The outbreaks have been caused by Hy Vee Pasta Salad, Fareway Foods chicken salad, precut melons, Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, and raw turkey. Of those sickened, more than 200 have been hospitalized because they are so ill. Two of those outbreaks have ended, but three are ongoing. While raw turkey has been associated with Salmonella outbreaks before, grocery store salads and dry cereal are relatively new vehicles for this pathogen. These outbreaks show that any food, at any time, can be contaminated with enough bacteria to make someone sick. The most striking detail about these outbreaks is that four of the five were linked … [Read more...]
Salmonella Adelaide Precut Melon Outbreak Ends with 77 Sick
The Salmonella Adelaide precut melon outbreak has ended, according to the CDC, with 77 people sick in nine states. Attorneys at the Pritzker Hageman law firm have filed lawsuits in this outbreak on behalf of ill clients. Thirty-six people have been hospitalized in this outbreak, which is a very high percentage. The case count by state is: Arkansas (1), Florida (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (14), Kentucky (1), Michigan (39), Missouri (11), Ohio (2), and Tennessee (1). llness onset dates ranged from April 30, 2018, to July 2, 2018. The patient age range was from less than 1 year to 97. Fifty-one percent of patents who were interviewed were hospitalized in this Salmonella Adelaide precut melon outbreak. The typical hospitalization rate for a Salmonella outbreak is about 22%. The FDA, … [Read more...]
