Food and Drug Administration Warns of Salmonella Risk With Cantaloupes Imported From Honduras

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2008

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an import alert regarding entry of cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer, because, based on current information, fruit from this company appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada. The import alert advises FDA field offices that all cantaloupes shipped to the United States by this company are to be detained.

In addition, the FDA has contacted importers about this action and is advising U.S. grocers, food service operators, and produce processors to remove from their stock any cantaloupes from this company. The FDA also advises consumers who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from this specific grower and packer. If so, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes.

To date, the FDA has received reports of 50 illnesses in 16 states and nine illnesses in Canada linked to the consumption of cantaloupes. No deaths have been reported; however, 14 people have been hospitalized. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, new jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The FDA is taking this preventive measure while the agency continues to investigate this outbreak in cooperation with the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention and state partners. Such intervention is key component of FDA's Food Protection Plan.

Symptoms of foodborne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten cantaloupe and experienced any of these symptoms should contact their health care professional.

Consumers are advised to take the following steps to reduce the risk of contracting Salmonella or other foodborne illnesses from cantaloupes:

. Purchase cantaloupes that are not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
. After purchase, refrigerate cantaloupes promptly.
. Wash hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling fresh cantaloupes.
. Scrub whole cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before eating.
. Use clean cutting surfaces and utensils when cutting cantaloupes. Wash cutting boards, counter tops, dishes, and utensils with hot water and soap between the preparation of raw meat, poultry, or seafood and the preparation of cantaloupe.
. If there happens to be a bruised or damaged area on a cantaloupe, cut away those parts before eating it.
. Leftover cut cantaloupe should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours.
. Use a cooler with ice or use ice gel packs when transporting or string cantaloupes outdoors.
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ONE OF AMERICA'S CHALLENGES IN A "FLAT WORLD"

Thomas Friedman, in his book, The World Is Flat, articulated the unstoppable connectivity of people in the world today. Technology has made the world "flat". Never in the history of mankind can people communicate with immense speed and efficiency around the clock. A traveler can be in one place one day and be in another place thousands of miles away in eight hours. Information and communication technology has never been so easily accessible to mankind in massive proportion. And so is America's food supply. Gone are the days when America's food supply was exclusively sourced from American soil. World economy has never been connected as it is today. One of the greatest requirements of human survival is the basic need for food. As the world opens up, America's vulnerability will continue to widen. And for this very reason that America's food supply will forever be a point of vulnerability that must be addressed. As the world continues to trade and slowly eliminates trade barriers, international food supply will travel and such movement requires monitoring from its original source to its final destinations-retail stores and dining establishments. Food safety issues such as proper temperature control, storage, contamination, cross-contamination, handling and transportation, to name a few, will have to be given serious attention if we are to address foodborne illness-related ourbreaks. Recent incident of salmonella outbreak traced from imported cantaloupes from Honduras is only but a concrete example of the threat and opportunity we all face in this world of free trade. As Food Safety Specialists, it is our goal, first and foremost, to ensure safe food and effectively prevent food-related illness cause by improper handling and contamination. The role we all play calls for a radical passion, commitment and dedication in enhancing "worry-free" grocery shopping for all. Food, the very basic of human needs is every body's business and Food Safety Professionals are at the forefront, mandated to guard, protect and promote food safety for all.