A southwestern Indiana cantaloupe farm is the source of some of the salmonella responsible for an outbreak that sickened people in 21 states and killed two Kentucky residents, the Food and Drug Administration announced.
Salmonella collected from Chamberlain Farms in Owensville matches the “DNA fingerprint” of the salmonella strain responsible for sickening 178 people, including 62 who were hospitalized, FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said.
She stressed that federal and state agencies were still investigating whether there might be other sources of the salmonella involved in outbreak.
“Just because we’ve identified this as one source, things just don’t stop here. We’re still assessing the full scope of this,” she said.
Tim Chamberlain, who runs the 100-acre Chamberlain Farms, said it had stopped producing and distributing cantaloupe on Aug. 16, when the FDA alerted him that the fruit could be tainted.
Burgess said the FDA’s advice to consumers hasn’t changed: Consumers should ask stores where cantaloupe they purchased came from and get rid of the fruit if it was purchased from Chamberlain Farms.
“And if they can’t verify where it came from, they should throw it out,” Burgess said. “If in doubt, throw it out. That’s our advice.”
Reel said consumers should wash all produce. For cantaloupes and other melons with rough, pitted surfaces, people should use a vegetable brush on the rind. The fruit should then be patted dry with a clean towel before it’s sliced or cut up. Rick Callahan, Associated Press
What fruits and vegetables do you like to eat to stay healthy? The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his newest food game, Serve, Taste or Trash to reveal the world’s most loved and hated foods.
Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red carpet at Central Farm Market in Bethseda, MD, Plus Night Out NYC, New York, NY Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes in Philadelphia, PA the American Diabetes Association Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Health Fair & Conferences in San Diego, Ca and Austin, TX in Fall 2012. For more glitter, games and glucose advice visit: www.divabetic.org Original music by Douglas Clay: www.douglasclaymusic.com
LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Podcast Inspired by Katy Perry http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/07/10/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-katy-perry
Tags: food news, food safety, fresh fruit, health news, healthy eating, melon outbreak, salmonella outbreak, salmonella risk
