At present the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine the source of contaminated cantaloupe blamed for the nationwide Listeriosis outbreak. Several Colorado grocery stores have removed cantaloupe from shelves, though there has been no official recall.
More than two dozen cases of the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported in Colorado, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Montana and Texas, and four people have died. Health officials say most consumed whole cantaloupes, likely marketed from Rocky Ford in Colorado.
Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo., is voluntarily recalling cantaloupe it shipped to Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania between July 29 and Sept. 10.
Jensen Farms spokeswoman Amy Philpott said, “They're just being extra careful. They don't want to take chances.” It wasn't immediately known how many cantaloupes were involved. The family farm hadn't yet estimated its potential financial losses, Philpott said. Colorado health officials weren't immediately aware Wednesday evening of any other farms participating in voluntary recalls.
Study links ultra-processed food consumption with higher cardiovascular risk