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Ed Andrieski / AP
Cantaloupes rot in the afternoon heat on a field on the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo., last month. Whole fruit contaminated with listeria have been blamed for 25 deaths in the worst food poisoning outbreak in the U.S. in a quarter century.
Now that federal investigators have identified dirty equipment, faulty sanitation and bad storage practices at a Colorado farm as the likely cause of a cantaloupe listeria outbreak that has killed 25 people, top U.S. food safety experts say there's one actor in this deadly drama that shouldn't be blamed: The consumer.
No amount of washing, scrubbing, bleaching or peeling would have cleaned cantaloupes contaminated by Jensen Farms' packing practices enough to remove listeria bacteria that has sickened at least 123 people and killed 25 in the deadliest outbreak in a quarter-century.
"There's nothing consumers could have done," said Dr. Doug Powell, a professor of food safety at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.
Federal Food and Drug Administration officials reported Wednesday that standing pools of water, inaccessible drains, hard-to-clean equipment and failure to cool cantaloupes fresh from the field before placing them in cold storage all likely contributed to the growth and spread of four strains of listeria bacteria at the Jensen Farms packing site in Granada, Colo.
The cold, moist environment maintained over time is exactly what listeria needs to thrive, said Dr. Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and a food safety expert at the University of Minnesota.
In addition, listeria could have been introduced into the packing center from sporadic bacteria in the field or from a dump truck that hauled culled cantaloupe back and forth to a cattle yard and then parked next to where the whole melons were being processed. Cattle are known reservoirs for listeria.
The bacteria clearly contaminated a huge proportion of the more than 310,000 cases of cantaloupe -- between 1.5 million and 4.5 million fruit -- that were recalled by Jensen Farms in mid-September, said Powell.
"Given that 25 people are dead, this was a massive contamination to have that impact," he said.
It's not clear whether people were infected by bacteria that clung to the fruit's porous, bumpy rind, whether the germs somehow migrated into the flesh of the fruit, or whether people spread contamination through the fruit by slicing it with a knife, Powell said. Good hygiene and food safety practices can lessen the chance of infection, but the contamination shouldn't be there in the first place.
"The idea that this is the consumer's responsibility is just nonsense," he said. "What's missing is any verification that individual farmers are doing what they're supposed to be doing."
Preventing the conditions that allowed the outbreak to occur and continue is the primary goal of the FDA's ongoing food safety efforts said the agency's commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg.
“If we’re to have a food safety system that truly prevents foodborne illness, we must all practice prevention,” she told reporters.
That's particularly incumbent on melon growers, who have felt the brunt of consumer fear as sales of cantaloupes have plummeted.
"Don't rely on paperwork if your brand relies on selling safe food," Powell said. "Any commodity is only as good as its worst grower."
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Let me see: the farmer could have, and should have, washed the fruit properly... but the consumer was unable to do the same? They said: "It's not clear whether people were infected by bacteria that clung to the fruit's porous, bumpy rind, whether the germs somehow migrated into the flesh of the fruit, or whether people spread contamination through the fruit by slicing it with a knife" - but it is clear that consumer could not have done anything about it? What a load of BS...
Max, The information we are given does not say that the consumers never bothered to wash their produce. Rather, it says, "No amount of washing, scrubbing, bleaching or peeling would have cleaned cantaloupes contaminated by Jensen Farms' packing practices enough to remove listeria bacteria..." Obviously, this fruit was far too contaminated to be merely washed off on the surface.
Look, I farm organically, using manure as a fertilizer. I also work as a scientist in an analytical lab. I know a lot about microbiology, and I smell pseudo scientific BS a mile away. You expect the farmer to wash cantaloupes so they are free of harmful bacteria that are expected to be in the soil but a consumer is unable to wash the same bacteria? This is not adding up. Last I checked, Listeria will not eat into a melon and hide there.
The harmful bacteria in this case didn't come from the soil. It came from a poorly maintained processing facility that was absolutely plagued with 4 different strains of deadly bacteria. There's a difference between plucking a melon from a field and plucking one from a vat of toxic waste - which is what this farm's storage facility was.
THX - please educate yourself here: "Listeria can be found in soil, which can lead to vegetable contamination. Animals can also be carriers." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listeria
Listeria is endemic in soil and animal waste (like cow manure). All produce which has been in contact with the soil MUST be assumed to be contaminated and thoroughly washed before cutting it. End of story. There is no known way for this bacteria to get inside an intact cantaloupe. NEVER buy a cracked cantaloupe. It will be bad for a number of reasons.
Max - if you really are a scientist (sure you are) then you can at least take the time to read the entire article before commenting. The article clearly stated that the contamination came from unsanitary conditions on the farm...not the soil.
Max- NEVER buy a cracked cantaloupe? Gee that was enlightening. Who on earth does that?
I'm wondering, since people pick up cantaloupes, feel them, squeeze them and literally prod them all over with their bare hands before selecting one, if that would be just as viable a source of transmission as consuming it?
Wisco... oh, I have read the entire article... the unsanitary conditions on the farm related primarily to a poor washing technique and storage area contaminated with dirty wash water. What were they trying to wash off? Duh... the farm soil sticking to the fruit!
Have you ever grown cantaloupes? Have you ever grown anything in the field? Makes me wonder, because the most basic farming concepts seem to elude you.
Tyranusex - not a bad point (people pawing fruit in the store and contaminating it) but if we are to trust the media, the source of this outbreak was narrowed down to this farm. And that is likely true. Since this farmer was sending culled fruit to a big cattle yard for fodder, I bet he was getting cow manure for free from that lot, and using it to fertilize the melon fields (melons are heavy feeders). These cattle yards produce a lot of waste and it has to be taken out constantly. That is where Listeria is often found: cow manure from big cattle lots where sick cows are common (manure from healthy cows does not have Listeria).
I think it is important to note that the individual quoted (Dr. Powell) as saying no amount of washing would have removed listeria is not a member of the team researching the outbreak nor does he speak for the FDA or CDC.
Moreover, the CDC states:
"Scrub the surface of melons, such as cantaloupes, with a clean produce brush and dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel before cutting."
This is of course meant for melons not a part of this recall as it is not recommended that anyone eat melons from Jensen Farms that are part of the recall, which is the most prudent course of action.
To say that there was "nothing" the consumer could do to prevent listeriosis in this case is probably accurate. Normal cleaning of the melons would not have been enough in most cases given the level of contamination. Listeria is an especially hearty organism as it can survive in very inhospitable conditions for weeks. The descriptions given clearly depict the best possible living condition if you are Listeria microbe.
Another important point is that we consume Listeria every day usually only the elderly and immunocompromised are effected. The average age of the ill people recorded in this outbreak was 78.
Bacteria can make their way into foods by several routes. In some cases such as E. coli, and bean sprouts the bacteria are taken up by the roots into the leaves from manure. In the case of some fruit the bacteria can work their way into the skin of the fruit which is very spongy, like melons and can occur while growing.
I suspect what they are getting at is contamination has occurred and the bacteria have lodged and attached into the skin of the fruit just not on the surface and that is why it cannot be washed away.
Thank you for a voice of sense. Seems sorely lacking in some of the remarkably panicked replies. And somehow, the idiocy of comparing this to a 'toxic waste dump', just proves the point. Also points out how few people have any connection at all to what is involved in growing the food they eat.
this farm used animal waste and sewer sludge from new York they used both while still green if you are an organic farmer than you know that stuff has to be aged to be sterilized for use on produce you are right about the sudoscience they are to cover up the NYC connection
My husband and I also farm organically and I have some knowledge of bacteria, having been a biology major as an undergrad. I don't understand this article, either. Now they're saying that there could be "sporadic bacteria from the field" contamination, or even from a truck parked near the processing center - (Does listeria contaminate by air? If so, we're in real trouble.) This is beginning to sound like the story of ecoli in Germany last year, making up all kinds of excuses and pinpointing the wrong sources repeatedly. I can see where this is headed - don't eat melons at all, for fear of contamination and just to be on the safe side...I agree - what does Powell mean when he says that consumers couldn't have washed off the bacteria? Unless the flesh was penetrated during processing, a good wash should have removed the bacteria, unless you're now talking about a mutation that resists cleaning!
krestov & dholley, I have read that washing fruit and vegetables with vinegar and then peroxide kills ecoli, but not being of any scientific mind, I do not know if this wash would help in this particular catastrophe. I have been using this technique for quite some time, especially with lettuce and spinach.
This story is nothing more then indoctrination from an agency that wants to dictate what we eat/consume from cradle to grave. I too grow food/herbs in greenhouses and open soil with never getting sick from any fertilizer my chickens gave me from their droppings.
Have an independent lab test the seed stock from the grower to find out if the seeds were engineered with the bacteria to naturally produce the results it seems to have caused. GMO seeds are garbage.
I am glad that there are a few wise people who know when another outbreak story is being turned into propaganda. More people need to get back to producing more of their own foods. No FDA control needed.
The article was poorly written. How on God's earth did the contamination get inside the melon. I have read the article twice and no explanation was given.
Another MSNBC joke. A poor one considering all the people dead.
Hi RummyTub. It's always good to read carefully before commenting.
As we said in the story, the scientists believe it might be possible that the listeria bacteria migrate through the porous rind to contaminate the flesh.
You mean this part:
"It's not clear whether people were infected by bacteria that clung to the fruit's porous, bumpy rind, whether the germs somehow migrated into the flesh of the fruit..."
If it's not clear than there should be no reason to suspect that the germs migrated to the inside. Again I repeat: how did the contamination get inside the melon? No reason is given.
Let's get the facts MSNBC before writing an article that simply stirs up controversies.
JoNel - Cantaloupe rind is not porous (it's surface is merely rough) and the cellular barriers prevent bacteria and fungi from penetrating the flesh all the time the fruit is growing in the field. There is no known mechanism for the Listeria to enter the flesh other than a mechanical damage to the fruit, when the bacteria from the surface enters with lets say the dirty wash water.
Hi JoNel,
This is the first reported outbreak of listeriosis involving whole cantaloupes which is the primary reason for the difficulty in finding the point of contamination. It is highly unlikely (so much so that it is not even being discussed as a possibility) that listeria found it's way into flesh of the number of cantaloupes involved. The generally accepted hypothsis of the route of transmission is from the knife used to slice open the cantaloupe to flesh.
RummyTub - The article states that
Ergo: You didn't wash your cantaloupe before you cut it open and bad things happened. Granted, the sentence is poorly worded, but it's just a way to keep from blaming consumers for perhaps being a part of the problem. After all, 25 people have died; no need to make their loved ones feel worse.
The rind of the Melon is not air tight, there are microscopic pores in the skin of the melon. The bacteria a also microscopic so the could be protected in the pores of the melon from mechanical cleaning and as the article clearly stated on cutting the bacteria can be introduced onto the flesh of the melon.
0k let me get this straight nomatter how much u washed n scrubbed the fruit it still got infected by the blade of the knife? ok because my concern is this could you explain to me why i gotten n bacteria from already packed n cut fruit pieces... been sick for about three days now n dr. told me botchelism , so thanx for heads up ass wipes.... sincerely upset.....
Hard to know if you got it from the fruit and the illness you are talking about is from a toxin that would have been on the food after the bacteria was dead.
I can't find any papers stating that bacteria can penetrate canteloupe rind without some form of surface damage to the fruit. The only quote I found supporting bacterial penetration was from the same guy quoted in this article.
As for washing, plain water will remove some of the bacteria. Bleach solution is better, but Listeria is somewhat resistant to bleach, and without knowing what was growing on the fruit I doubt the victims thought to use bleach.
The statement in the article that consumers could have done "nothing" is somewhat misguided. Fruit should always be washed, and that statement implies that washing is not useful. That should probably be reworded. Mr Powell also described the rind as porous, which it isn't. I get the feeling that other experts in microbiology should be consulted to review statements in this article.
The way I'm reading this is that the fruit was so contaminated that "reasonable" washing would not have gotten it all off of the fruit. I understood the mention of the truck to indicate that it was used in the transport of the fruit. I work in electronics so I can't make any biological observations about the problem, but it does appear to me that the local experts think they know more than the ones whom actually investigated the problem?? YMMV
Given that there are 25 dead... There was obviously a failure to adhere to expected standards by the grower. That is not the fault of the consumers. I don't think anyone in this day and age should ever fear dying from eating a simple piece of fruit, regardless of who handled it. This is why we have and NEED regulations. If you seriously feel that your freedoms are being compromised by law-makers trying to protect your life... tough. Go grow your own then.
Interesting how they always claim so many people have died/infected yet do not give information to where we can check out if the deaths/infections are real and not just stated for cementation of the propaganda goal.
It's grown in dirt; the consumer has some smalll responsibility.
This is unbelievable. Where do you people who defend these clearly negligent farms get off blaming the victims??? Let me guess, you vote Republican. Your argument is you expect a consumer to wash a whole melon (the outside of it) with a soap and water and then sanitize their knife each time they slice into the whole piece of fruit? Even if they had the listeria couldn't be washed off. I've seen a lot of melon cutting in my days and no one does that! Do you do that? The farm was clearly at fault - if they weren't at fault then we'd all be dropping like flies eating dirty produce. 25 people are dead. If it were your daughter or son or mother of father who was killed I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune! Come on, people!!!!!
So repubs, how is that uncontrolled capitalism doing?
That is what the USDA is for -- regulation and oversight.
My grandfather and his 2 brothers started a sausage business in 1957.
Built up and did well then sold it [nice profit] in 1985.
I remember when the youngest, in his drinking days, cussed and ranted at the inspector for shutting down production one day.
The inspector waited, the asked if he was finished -- yes.
The inspector walked out to his car, opened the trunk, got a big chain and master lock.
He wrapped the chain around the front door handles, lock it and came back in the back.
He told my uncle that when everything was cleaned he would reinspect and they could restart production.
My uncle asked about the chain and lock.
He said it would come off when he got a written apology.
By the way, the business paid the USDA to cover the salary of the inspector.
HUMMMM you said it could be washed away last week.
By the way is wine good for me this week?
This has no consolation value whatsoever to those who became sick or died. They have my condolences. We should stay vigilant & work on improving the handling process of our food.
To keep things in perspective, This is a .00001 percent defect. But for the fact lives are involved & people died, If this were any other product, It would be considered a statistical anomaly.
A better perspective, Nearly 2000 people died in hospitals this week from passive transfers of infections from other patients or contaminants. Things they weren't in the hospital for to begin with. Something you seldom read or hear about. And this happens every week 52 weeks a year.
They process a Billion plus pounds of food every day handled by Millions of employees, 365 days a year to feed 310 Million people a day Just in the U.S. It's amazing this isn't a bigger problem then it is. It only takes 1 person not doing his job for these things to happen.
It's OK to be upset when this happens, But all considered, you should appreciate the fact that the vast Majority of these people are doing a good job. We have 1 of the safest if not the safest food supply in the world. Many Countries don't even keep records of these things because it's so common.
As far as regulations & inspectors, they mean nothing if they aren't enforced & inspectors being present doesn't mean they are enforced.
Most regulations are written by people who probably don't even buy there own groceries most of the time if at all. When done you need a lawyer to figure many of them out & even they will come across things that make them scratch their heads & walk away. If you haven't ever had to deal with these regulations personally, it would be hard to comprehend what I'm talking about. Here's an example. 1 agency says to do This or we will fine you & shut you down until it's corrected. A different different Agency will latter come in & say if we catch you dong This we will fine you & shut you down until it's corrected. I've personally seen this happen. You have multiple Agencies to deal with, Federal, State, Local &/or the Health department officials who's rules & regulations are/can be at odds with each other. It's Lawyer time unless you just throw in the towel & walk away. This is exactly why you have people upset when you talk about more regulations. Lawyers are expensive.
Instead of more Regulations, they should probably back up, Bring in people with real world experience & rewrite them with logical & common sense where there is no question as what & what not to do.
As for the people who became sick or died from the cantaloupe, how many of them just threw it up on the counter & started cutting it up without washing it. Will never know, but it's likely most or all of them. Most of us are guilty of this practice at some time or another with produce. Especially if there hasn't been a recent outbreak in the news that scares us. We also have a tendency to let them set on the counter or somewhere for a few days to ripen a little more as their picked from the fields before ripening. I've read this is a perfect opportunity for these bacteria to grow from minimal & harmless to deadly concentration levels.
Plants can absorb certain mineral contaminates from the ground, But Bacteria is primarily a surface dwelling organism. This is why your not suppose to spread manure for fertilizer once the crops are planted. There are regulations on when & how to apply manure for fertilizer. Note: Human waste is considered an excellent fertilizer when properly done. Both are considered as Organic &/or Green fertilizers.
As for growing your own, I grow some myself. Mostly the classics from decades back. They have better taste & even better fresh picked from the garden vine ripened instead of weeks old picked before there ripe. But don't give yourself a false sense of safety. Wash Them. They can still be contaminated from the soil & you have no Idea of what stray cats or animals, Even birds may deposit on your garden or on the plants themselves. There was a recall on strawberries sometime back that was connected to Deer droppings by DNA analysis.
Where did this contamination come from? Jenson's Farm. So where did it come from???
It May have been spread from standing water. It May have been spread by the equipment. It May have been spread from the lack of proper refrigeration. It May have been spread by a dump truck.
It MAY have been spread from anywhere. WHERE did it come(Originate) from. To prevent this from happening again at this Farm or others in the vicinity, you need to answer where did it come from! Knowing exactly where it originated from, the soil or accidentally introduced in some manner will best determine what steps to minimize or prevent this from happening again.
Testing the product destroys the product. 100% testing destroys 100% of the product. You can only sample a small percent so the best protection against this happening is to know where it came from & take steps to minimize it happening again.
Good post! One thing I would like to add--the "standing pools of water" sounds like a perfect petri dish to me!
Ozone would kill listeria on contact. Ozone kills MRSA on contact. Get a clue people. No one should die of bacteria deaths when ozone treatment could be used, like it used to be used by doctors in the United States. Tragically it was banned by the FDA - at the prodding of pharmaceutical companies - because other than the cost of a generator, ozone is free, unlike antibacterial drugs. Lives vs Dollars, guess what wins again?
It's not free if you breathe it in using your homebrew ozone generator. I'm not kidding, I've seen them for sale at home/garden shows, fleamarkets, etc. Ozone is used in food packaging to sterilize but it can be dangerous or lethal.
That said, I don't think it's unreasonable to dunk a cantaloupe into a little bleach water for a few minutes. You don't usually eat the rind.
Something to consider here regarding the deaths from listeriosis: Most of the individuals were elderly. This is sad for many reasons, but the elderly face a few risks that the panicked parents reading about killer kantaloupes may want to consider: 1. The elderly are more likely to be taking stomach acid reducing medications, which reduces or removes one of your immune system's first line of defense. 2. The elderly have, generally speaking, a weaker immune system. 3. The elderly are more likely to eat institutionally prepared food, food that is often prepared ahead of time, often by poorly trained, treated, paid people, then refrigerated. Listeria is happy breeding at refrigerator temperatures.
So if you are a robust and unmedicated 30 year old eating a fresh piece of cantaloupe that you at least ran some water over, you probably didn't even get sick, or maybe had some GI upset which you blamed on McDonalds.
Other growers hurt by this outbreak should have the right to sue the offending farmers. This should help the agricultural industry police itself. - RC
Max108, you need some farmers education. When I buy a cantaloupe, you folks do not even have a tag that says to soak the fruit in chlorox, or whatever, befor eating. The fruit is contaminated due to your primitive farming methods. So we are all to die, because of your mistakes?
I am a BIG cantalope lover! And I havent eaten any since the outbreak last year! It scared the heck outta me! I worked on farms planted fruit vegetables and I never heard of such crap like this! I live in farming area of Pennsylvania! When I was a kid this stuff was unheard of! You didnt need to be afraid of eating anything! Of course we washed everything off with water! About 15 years ago I started washing my fruit and veggies off with ivory soap and water! Loool! I know your thinking Ivory Soap???? YES! And am I glad i do that! Im 65 and still alive loool! Thank God! The Food and drug administration didnt say for me to do that it was my idea! I dont even eat rare steak anymore! You cant because of unclean food handeling practices! Be very careful peoples! Wash your food eat well cooked meat etc. Be careful and wash your hands thoroughly and often when handeling chicken meat fish etc! We cannot be clean enough at home! But I still blame the growers also, they are responsible to be clean also when handeling our food! It falls on both consumer and grower I believe!