The salmonella outbreak of August, 2012 associated with cantaloupes has officially been linked to 2 deaths and 141 illnesses in over 20 states. The outbreak was caused by contaminated cantaloupes grown in Indiana by an unidentified supplier.
The Centers for Disease Control confirmed the numbers this weekend, noting that the state hit hardest by the outbreak is Kentucky. Since Friday, two deaths have occurred and over 50 illnesses have been reported in the state of Kentucky – all linked to the cantaloupe products.
As a result of the deaths and illnesses, most grocery stores have thrown away all cantaloupes sourced from Indiana. Popular grocery stores like Krogers, Paul’s Fruit Market and Valu Market have been reassuring their customers that the cantaloupes sold at their stores are unaffected by the outbreak and are safe for consumers to purchase and eat.
It’s understandable that consumers would be concerned over the health issues associated with cantaloupes. In addition to this year’s outbreak, a deadly listeria outbreak traced back to cantaloupes grown in Colorado in 2011 resulted in over 30 deaths and 146 illnesses.
Foodbeat’s Take: Avoid eating cantaloupes and throw out any you may have in your home right now – it’s not worth the risk and too many products have been affected this year.
Stay up to date with Foodbeat’s list of cantaloupe recalls for summer of 2012.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com
