TweetOctober 20, 2011 – I have been following food poisoning cases for for years. Fruit food issues are the worst in my opinion, since so many kids eat fruit. So I am happy to bring you this warning. According to reports the source of the deadly cantaloupe outbreak has been isolated. I covered this is the original Listeria post and this is the cantaloupe outbreak outcome.

According to the Food and Drug Administration the deadly listeria outbreak that covered 12 states and is responsible for 25 deaths and 123 people becoming ill.

Jensen Farms and Rocky Ford recalled cantaloupes that were shipped between July 29 and September 10th.
According to the Centers for Disease Control the Jensen Farms cantaloupes are the only melons that have been linked with the outbreak.

According to Food and Drug Administration investigators listeria was found on Jensen Farms packing equipment that was hard to clean. The equipment was dirty, corroded and old, according to the investigators.
The equipment blamed for the listeria outbreak at Jensen Farms according to the Food and Drug Administration was recently purchased used in July, which had been used to wash potatoes. This was the same month that the outbreak began.

The listeria outbreak has become the largest foodborne illness in the United States, since Mexican style cheese in 1985 and officials warn that the illness can appear as long as two months after the melon is consumed.