Salmonella outbreak does not involve Indiana-grown melons

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced an outbreak of Salmonella Carrau in pre-cut melon products distributed by Indianapolis-based Caito Foods.

While an Indiana company has been implicated in the outbreak, the melons used to create the pre-cut products were not from Indiana and were likely imported from outside of the United States. Indiana growers are currently preparing to plant Indiana’s 2019 cantaloupe and watermelon crops in Southwestern Indiana and other parts of the state. Growers are anticipating a safe, bountiful harvest.

Indiana melon growers take food safety seriously and implement many on-farm practices aimed at reducing the risk of a foodborne pathogen contaminating the crop, said Scott Monroe, a food safety educator with Purdue Extension.

“Indiana growers use a variety of practices that reduce the risk of contamination at the farm level. Among these are testing of irrigation water, use of sanitizers in wash water, and employee training programs,” Monroe said.

Most Indiana watermelon and cantaloupe are produced on farms where food safety practices are confirmed by third-party audits, said Amanda Deering, a clinical assistant professor in Purdue’s Department of Food Science.

“Growers are audited annually to ensure that they are implementing and maintaining aggressive food safety programs on their farms,” Deering said.

Deering also pointed out that in most cases, requirements of third-party audit schemes are more stringent than current FDA regulations.

“Our Indiana growers are doing everything they can to reduce the risk of on-farm contamination by a foodborne pathogen to the lowest level possible,” Monroe said.

Featured Stories

Keeping your pets safe during the dog days of summer

As temperatures and humidity rise across the U.S., Candace Croney, director of the Center for...

Eastern hellbender salamanders feeding on bloodworms in their raceway at the Purdue Hellbender the Hellbender lab.

Metazoa Beer to Benefit Help the Hellbender Lab

Metazoa Brewing Company and the Indiana Lakes Management Society have teamed up to collaborate on...

Digital forestry can help mitigate and prevent wildfires

The National Interagency Fire Center reports that, as of this writing, 19,444 fires have burned...

What you can do this summer to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species

In 2020, an alligator was captured in a lagoon of Chicago’s Humbolt Park. The reptile out...

Researcher uses pipette on parsley plant

Researchers examine nanotechnological methods for improving agriculture

Nanoscale particles could potentially help address agricultural and environmental sustainability...

Fairgoers ride a tractor, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance, and browse food tents during the 2023 Indiana State Fair. (Purdue Agricultural Communications photo)

Purdue Extension to present engaging art and nature demonstrations at Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair kicks off Aug. 2 and highlights the theme “The Art & Nature of...