Tag Archives: Cantaloupe

Development and validation of a mathematical model for growth of pathogens in cut melons

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Everywhere I go in Brisbane, I see cut cantaloupe.

cantaloupe.half.sep.12Rock melon as the locals call it.

From the biggest retail megalomarts to the local fruit and veg., aging cantaloupes are cut in half, wrapped in cellophane, stored at room temperature and sold at a slight discount.

This is a Salmonella growth factory.

The practice is shameful, and for every corporate food safety thingy out there who says with a straight face, food safety is our top priority, you’re full of it.

I’m looking at you, Coles and Woolworths (which control the retail grocery market in Australia).

I’m told the melon-in-half practice is prevalent in California, Florida, and pretty much everywhere.

The thing with produce – especially the ones in repeated outbreaks like cantaloupe, leafy greens and tomatoes – is that once it is cut in any way, the cut provides a growth medium for any existing microorganisms. Storing at room temperature sets fire to the flame, which is why the cold-chain is so important for cut produce.

Friend of barfblog Schaffner just can’t stop writing papers, which is good, because food safety needs more evidence and less faith.

Abstract below.

Development and validation of a mathematical model for growth of pathogens in cut melons.

Journal of Food Protection, Number 6, June 2013, pp. 928-1108 , pp. 953-958(6)

Li, Di; Friedrich, Loretta M.; Danyluk, Michelle D.; Harris, Linda J.; Schaffner, Donald W.

Many outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh-cut melons have been reported. The objective of our research was to develop a mathematical model that predicts the growth rate of Salmonella on cantaloupe.salmonellafresh-cut cantaloupe over a range of storage temperatures and to validate that model by using Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, using both new data and data from the published studies. The growth of Salmonella on honeydew and watermelon and E. coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon was monitored at temperatures of 4 to 25°C. The Ratkowsky (or square-root model) was used to describe Salmonella growth on cantaloupe as a function of storage temperature. Our results show that the levels of Salmonella on fresh-cut cantaloupe with an initial load of 3 log CFU/g can reach over 7 log CFU/g at 25°C within 24 h. No growth was observed at 4°C. A linear correlation was observed between the square root of Salmonella growth rate and temperature, such that √growth rate = 0.026 × (T – 5.613), R2 = 0.9779. The model was generally suitable for predicting the growth of both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, for both new data and data from the published literature. When compared with existing models for growth of Salmonella, the new model predicts a theoretic minimum growth temperature similar to the ComBase Predictive Models and Pathogen Modeling Program models but lower than other food-specific models. The ComBase Prediction Models results are very similar to the model developed in this study. Our research confirms that Salmonella can grow quickly and reach high concentrations when cut cantaloupe is stored at ambient temperatures, without visual signs of spoilage. Our model provides a fast and cost-effective method to estimate the effects of storage temperature on fresh-cut melon safety and could also be used in subsequent quantitative microbial risk assessments.

Blame the consumer, Colorado-style: ‘three magic words clean, cook, chill’

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Scrubbing cantaloupes with a brush would not have prevented 33 people from dying in 2011 in Colorado, and three from dying in Kentucky in 2012.

Washing produce of any kind is of little effectiveness – although it may make you feel better in a faith-based food safety system —  and that’s cantaloupe.salmonellawhy food safety starts on the farm.

Vicki Carlton, program manager of the Pueblo City-County Health Department’s consumer protection program told The Pueblo Chieftain raw fruits and vegetables are the biggest emerging problems, and that, “Back in the day, you got more locally.”

Like those cantaloupes from Colorado?

Justin Gage, an environmental health specialist with the health department, recommends washing bananas, too, because of bacteria and chemicals that are likely to be on the peel.

Has there been a microbial outbreak of anything associated with bananas?

Produce safety, US and UAE versions

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From Abu Dhabi to Akron, Ohio, people are worried about the safety of leafy greens – spinach, lettuce, rocket, whatever.

Gulf News reports that locally grown fresh salad vegetables in the UAE are, according to academics, contaminated by dangerous bacteria because of unhygienic farm practices and improper food handling from the farm to the table.

They also warned nearly 43 per cent of water wells in the country are contaminated with bacteria that exceed the standard level of safe lettuceconsumption, even for irrigation of crops.

“If there is a serious epidemic or outbreak of life-threatening gastrointestinal disease we will know the source, namely, the contaminated salad greens we are eating nearly every day,” said Dr Dennis J. Russell, professor of biology, department of biology, chemistry and environmental science at the American University of Sharjah.

Research over the past five years showed the presence of persistent coliform and E. coli contamination sequestered within the leaves of the locally grown popular fresh salad vegetable knows locally as jarjeer (ccientific name rocket/rocca) and other salad greens, Dr Russells told Gulf News.

‘All of the samples of jarjeer were found contaminated with E. coli and 100 per cent of the latest samples were also contaminated with large amounts of Salmonella. Tests of other locally grown greens show they too are contaminated with these bacteria, although to a lesser extent,” Dr Russell said.

Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia told the Daily Herald that a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fingered produce as the leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S.

Doyle said the more cracks and grooves on the skin of a fruit or vegetable, the more easily bacteria can hide. Melons also have a neutral pH, so they offer a perfect growing environment for bacteria.

The problem of contaminated melons is often made worse by grocery stores that sell cut pieces, but often don’t store them in a cold enough lettuce.skull.e.coli.O145environment.

Doyle recalls walking into an upscale grocery store in South Carolina one summer, where a metal tank with ice in the bottom was filled with containers of cut melon. The bottom inch of the containers was inside the ice, leaving the majority of the melon in an environment warm enough for bacteria to multiply rapidly.

In the CDC’s new study, however, leafy greens like lettuce and spinach were revealed as the worst culprits for food poisoning in the study period, between 1998 and 2008.

Salad greens marked “washed and ready to eat” or “triple-washed” remain an area of debate among food safety experts.

Some experts contend that the triple-washing with chlorine that takes place during processing is enough to kill what bacteria can be killed, and advise against washing bagged greens because the risk of cross-contamination in the home kitchen is a greater concern.

Doyle says not to buy bagged greens at all. He advises buying whole heads of lettuce or greens, removing the outer surface layers where bacteria is most likely to be present, and then washing the greens under cold running water.

Doyle has conducted studies that show the cutting and bagging of lettuce in processing plants can actually trap bacteria inside the lettuce leaves, meaning that no amount of scrubbing or washing will ever get rid of the germs. If greens are cut before they are washed — as they commonly are during processing — the bacteria become internalized by the leaves, trapping the germs inside the produce.

As risky as bagged greens can be, Doyle said an even greater concern should be the consumption of raw sprouts like bean and alfalfa.

He believes the only reason they weren’t first on the list of illness-causing produce in the CDC study is that folks just don’t eat nearly as many of them as they do items like lettuce, tomatoes or melon.

He said sprouts, due to their high levels of contamination, should never be consumed raw.

Why didn’t they do this before? Eastern cantaloupe, mango growers now super serious about food safety

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Two unrelated items from The Packer that both beg the question: what took you so long?

The formation of the Eastern Cantaloupe Growers Association follows a string of cantaloupe recalls, including a deadly 2011 listeria outbreak linked to mango.dec.12cantaloupe from Jensen Farms, Holly, Colo., and an August multistate outbreak traced to Chamberlain Farms Produce Inc., Owensville, Ind.

Food safety standards adopted by the group are the subject of a Feb. 11 meeting in Atlanta. More than a dozen retailers were anticipated at the meeting.

Growers from Indiana to Florida met in Atlanta in early January to discuss food safety, agreeing to form the association.

To display the group’s seal, growers are required to maintain Global Food Safety Initiative auditing metrics which include water specifications, soil amendments and sanitation and equipment cleaning standards that exceed those mandated by GFSI, Hall said.

Audits from any third-party auditor with GFSI benchmarking is accepted in the program, and growers must have at least one surprise audit during production to ensure adherance to the association’s standards, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Mango Board is inviting growers, packers, handlers and importers to the first mango food safety conference.

A table of cantaloupe-related outbreaks is available at: http://bites.ksu.edu/cantaloupe-related-outbreaks.

Most recently, 143 people in Canada and the U.S. were sickened with Salmonella from Mexican mangoes.

Doesn’t matter: Indiana farm says salmonella came from outside farm

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A day after FDA went public about issues with Indiana-based Chamberlain Farms – the source of a Salmonella outbreak that killed three and sickened 270 – a lawyer for the farm said testing by a microbiologist hired by the farm suggests the bacteria that caused the outbreak didn’t come from the farm’s fields.

Chamberlain Farms’ attorney, Gary Zhao, said in a statement today that the “overwhelming evidence” points to land adjacent to the Owensville cantaloupe.salmonellafarm’s melon fields as the likely source of the bacterial contamination federal investigators found on the farm’s cantaloupes.

He says that means the farm’s packing facilities, equipment or operations weren’t the source of the salmonella.

The lawyer needs a lesson on the U.S. version of strict liability.

Cut that melon, keep it chilled

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Yet another study confirms what’s been known for a long time: once cantaloupe is cut, it needs to be kept cold.

Which is why it is disconcerting at markets and megalomarts in Australia and elsewhere to see melons sliced in half, wrapped in plastic and sitting at ambient temperature, which can be a tad warm in Brisbane.

Abstract below:

The most recent outbreak of listeriosis linked to consumption of fresh-cut cantaloupes indicates the need to investigate the behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in the presence of native microflora of cantaloupe pieces during storage. Whole cantaloupes were inoculated with L. monocytogenes (108-CFU/ml suspension) for 10 min and air dried in a biosafety cabinet for 1 h and then treated (unwashed, water washed, and 2.5% hydrogen peroxide washed). Fresh-cut pieces (∼3 cm) prepared from these melons were left at 5 and 10°C for 72 h and room temperature (20°C) for 48 h. Some fresh-cut pieces were left at 20°C for 2 and 4 h and then refrigerated at 5°C. Microbial populations of fresh-cut pieces were determined by the plate count method or enrichment method immediately after preparation. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast and mold of whole melon, and inoculated populations of L. monocytogenes on cantaloupe rind surfaces averaged 6.4, 3.3, and 4.6 log CFU/cm2, respectively. Only H2O2 (2.5%) treatment reduced the aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast and mold, and L. monocytogenes populations to 3.8, 0.9, and 1.8 log CFU/cm2, respectively. The populations of L. monocytogenes transferred from melon rinds to fresh-cut pieces were below detection but were present by enrichment. Increased storage temperatures enhanced the lag phases and growth of L. monocytogenes. The results of this study confirmed the need to store fresh-cut cantaloupes at 5°C immediately after preparation to enhance the microbial safety of the fruit.

Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 75, Number 11, November 2012 , pp. 1912-1919(8)

Ukuku, Dike O.; Olanya, Modesto; Geveke, David J.; Sommers, Christopher H.

California cantaloupe growers back state’s food safety program

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Cantaloupe growers, packers and shippers in California say they’re hopeful the state’s new commodity-specific food safety program will bolster consumer confidence in their crop.

Jim Malanca, vice president of sales for Westside Produce Inc., Firebaugh, Calif., told The Packer several factors, including lingering effects from last fall’s listeria-tainted Colorado cantaloupe, probably contributed to this summer’s lethargic market.

“It’s very difficult to put your finger on ― everything that’s going on economy-wise, weather-wise and food safety-wise,” he said. “We’ve done as much as we can to make sure our food is safe for consumers, and we document everything.”

In response to last fall’s listeria outbreak, California cantaloupe growers and handlers enlisted the help of university and other food safety experts to develop a mandatory food safety program.

Members of the Dinuba-based California Cantaloupe Advisory Board unanimously approved the program in May.

Colace, who is also vice-chairman of the board, said he believes the program already has helped bolster confidence among retailers and buyers. But consumers may be a different story.

“I think the biggest thing is to educate the public that we have a piece of fruit that is very safe,” he said.

Then market food safety directly to consumers – at retail.

Good families fart; and good growers aren’t delusional

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In 1991, popular children’s author Robert Munsch of Guelph, Ontario, wrote a book called Good Families Don’t.

It’s about farts.

And everyone farts.

Ten years earlier he wrote a book called, The Boy in the Drawer, which is basically a take on the favorite kids’ tale of, I didn’t do it, or, pay attention to the kids or things will get worse.

This could apply to cantaloupes, or any other food.

Following the revelations from the U.S. Food and Administration about lousy conditions at Chamberlain Farms, the source of a cantaloupe outbreak that has killed three and sickened 270, owner Tim Chamberlain said in a written statement issued via his attorney Oct. 4 that, despite three Salmonella positive tests on the farm that matched the outbreak strain, “there is nothing in the report to indicate the conditions are a source of or contributed to any reported illnesses.”

Any commodity is only as good as its worst grower; sorry cantaloupe folks that you have to go through this again.

Going public: FDA inspection of cantaloupe farm reveals failures

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On Aug. 17, 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced an outbreak of Salmonella linked to cantaloupe.

On Aug. 22, 2012, announced Chamberlain Farms in Owensville, Indiana was voluntarily recalling its cantaloupes.

But beginning Aug. 14, 2012, FDA types visited the farm as the epidemiological investigation increasingly fingered Chamberlain cantaloupes in an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport which has killed three people and sickened 270 in 26 states.

That report has now been made public by Bill Marler and again raises the question: when does sufficient evidence exist to issue a public warning about a potential health risk?

The other questions are becoming embarrassingly repetitive, like the E. coli outbreak in Canada going on right now. With the cantaloupe, how is it a 500 acre cantaloupe farm could operate with such safety violations after all the attention shone on the sector after last year’s listeria-in-cantaloupe outbreak that killed at least 33 people? How could the auditors for any of the firms that bought the cantaloupes not have raised any red flags? Why is Chamberlain Farms being silent?

1.During the inspection I observed, indications of poor sanitary practices demonstrating contamination in the firm’s cantaloupe packing shed through environmental swabs and product samples which tested positive for Salmonella as follows:

• During this inspection on 08/16/2012, cantaloupes were collected from the 21-acre field located at Old 65 and Co Rd 525 W and tested positive for Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Typhimurium.

• During this inspection on 08/16/2012, cantaloupes were also collected from a cardboard bin after processing in the packing shed and tested positive for Salmonella Newport.

• During the inspection 08114/2012, environmental swabs were collected from various locations and surfaces throughout the packing shed. 7 of 50 environmental swabs tested positive for Salmonella Newport. 2 of 50 environmental swabs tested positive for Salmonella Anatum.

2. Food contact surfaces are not constructed/designed in a manner to allow for appropriate cleaning: 
On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, porous food contact surfaces including carpet and wood used throughout the cantaloupe processing line which does not allow for adequate cleaning. Apparent rust and corrosion on multiple pieces of equipment throughout the processing line was also observed.

3. Failure to clean as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination of food: 
 On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, multiple locations of the conveyor including rollers and belts, had an accumulation of black, green, and brown buildup. There was an accumulation of debris including trash, wood, food pieces, standing water, mud, dirt, and green buildup observed beneath the conveyer belt in the cantaloupe packing shed.

4. On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, standing water in the packing shed on the floor directly below the first conveyer belts of the packing line and on the drip table, which is below the bristle conveyer belt where cantaloupes are being washed and rinsed. This water appeared to have algae growing in it.

5. The processing water line is not constructed in such a manner as to prevent food contamination: 
 On 08/ 14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed the pipe used to supply well water into the dump tank and spray nozzles over the conveyer belt were leaking and appeared to have an accumulation of rust. This water comes into direct contact with the cantaloupe as they are traveling along the processing line.

6. The firm was not monitoring the effective levels of the chlorine sanitizer in the water contained in the concrete dump tank of the cantaloupe processing line, nor could firm management provide monitoring records to that effect.

7. Failure to remove litter and waste that may constitute an attractant, breeding place, or harborage area for pests, within the immediate vicinity of the plant buildings or structures: 
 On 08/14/2012, the firm’s garbage receptacle (located on the outside west wall of the packing shed approximately 15 from the processing line) was overflowing with garbage. The north and south sides of the processing shed do not have a wall and is exposed directly to the outside environment.

270 sick, 3 dead; more recalls; how can melons do this?

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Sorenne and I like the cantaloupe; Amy, not so much. We also like the watermelon; Amy, not so much.

So it’s somewhat distressing to hear of the various Salmonella problems in some of our favorite melons.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control today noted that 270 people have been infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium (240 persons) andSalmonella Newport (30 persons) linked to cantaloupe in 26 states from Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc. of Owensville, Indiana.

Chamberlain Farms has also pulled its watermelons from the market after Salmonella was found on one of those fruits.

Grocery chain Schnucks says it removed Chamberlain watermelons from its stores after being contacted by the grower.

In unrelated news, DFI Marketing Inc. of Fresno, CA is voluntarily recalling cantaloupe after Salmonella was found on a single sample during routine testing conducted at a wholesale produce distribution center (terminal market) as part of a USDA testing program.

Through the company’s comprehensive recall and trace back systems, it has been determined the suspected cantaloupes include approximately 28,000 cartons of bulk-packed product. The cantaloupes are packed in 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18 cantaloupes per carton. Specific information on how to identify the product: All cantaloupes are packed in a DFI brand carton and the following is stamped in black on the carton “826 CALIFORNIA WESTSIDE.”

Florida Today reports 11 years have passed since Dana Dziadul nearly died from eating cantaloupe tainted with salmonella and now the 14-year-old has become a poster child for the food safety campaign with her face appearing in national “Stop foodborne illness” advertisements. She has spoken to Congress and was a major advocate for the “Food Safety Modernization Act,” which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010.

Dana has shared her story with chefs at Disney World and Publix supermarket food safety experts. On Friday, she will talk at a regional food safety meeting in Orlando.

For Dana, the story began at a nice restaurant near her Connecticut home when she was 3. She’d eaten cantaloupe imported from Mexico, which gave her Salmonella Poona blood poisoning. As a result, she continues to suffer from reactive arthritis.