Did Your Supermarket Sell Colorado Cantaloupes? – Updated 10/4/11

I had another phone call from Auntie Anne yesterday evening (the last call was about ground turkey). This time she wanted to know whether Stop & Shop carried the Colorado cantaloupes recalled by Jensen Farms, Inc.

I had to tell her, “I don’t know.” (Oct 4th Update: Thanks to Jennifer (see comments), I can now tell Auntie Anne that Stop & Shop cantaloupes did not come from Jensen Farms)

FDA issued a Press Release on September 14th, warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupes shipped by Jensen Farms. These cantaloupes are linked to the multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has infected more than 84 people and caused 15 deaths as of September 30th.

Jensen Farms has recalled the cantaloupes, which were shipped to Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. FDA advises that “further distribution is possible.” The recalled cantaloupes may be labelled as shown in one of these photos:

As usual, FDA has not issued a retail distribution list for this recall, leaving it up to Jensen Farms and its customers (food service distributors and retailers) to make that information public.

Here’s what the public has been told so far.

Jensen Farms, Inc. cantaloupes were supplied to the following grocery chains and foodservice distributors:

Albertson’s:- Colorado stores.
Aldi:- Aldi stores are located in 31 states, primarily from Kansas to the East Coast.
Basila Produce:- A “macro-distributor” of Jensen’s cantaloupes based in Albuquerque, NM
Carol’s Cuts LLC:- A Kansas food processor, who supplied Carol’s Cuts Fruit Medley products to institutional food customers, including restaurants, in Overland Park, Kansas, Kansas City and Maryland Heights, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. The product was shipped to customers on August 26 and September 12, 2011.
King Soopers:- Sweet Rocky Ford Cantaloupe – Jensen Farms; Various sizes. King Soopers has stores in Colorado and Wyoming.
Safeway:- Jumbo Rocky Ford Cantaloupe from Jensen Farms; sold in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico (Aztec and Farmington), South Dakota and Wyoming between August 30 and September 6.
Select Express LLC (Idaho):- Jensen Farms cantaloupes were shipped to Select Express (a food distribution company). Because the melons were too ripe to be sold, they were donated between August 28th and September 2nd.
U.S. Foodservice:- “A trace‐back from secondary suppliers and processors found a few cases of whole and some “cut” product affected in two USF Distribution Centers in the West. A small number of customers affected have been contacted.”
Wal-Mart:- North Dakota, Colorado* and New Mexico. Although Walmart has not posted the recall notice on its website (as of September 18th), a Colorado couple has filed suit against Jensen Farms Inc. and Wal-Mart, alleging that they purchased a “…tainted cantaloupe at a Wal-Mart store on Razorback Road in Colorado Springs.” The cantaloupes may also have been sold in Walmart stores in other states.
Wegmans Buffalo (NY) area stores only:- Packaged Cantaloupe Chunks, Cantaloupe Slices, Gourmet Fruit Salad, Small Fruit Salad, Small and Large Fruit Salad with Pineapple, and Fruit Salad with Kiwi Fruit Trays (Best if used by September 4 to September 11), sold in the produce departments of Buffalo-area stores between August 31 and September 11. The packages were supplied to Wegmans by Fruit Fresh Up, of Depew, NY.
Whole Foods Market:- In some New Mexico and Colorado locations. Notwithstanding these linked reports, Whole Foods believes that it was NOT supplied with Jensen Farms, Inc. cantaloupes.

*Based on information supplied by Bill Marler

The following grocery chains and foodservice distributors did NOT procure cantaloupes from Jensen:

A&P
Big Y
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
Buehler’s Fresh Foods
Harris Teeter
Ingles Markets
Price Chopper
Publix
ShopRite Supermarkets
Stop & Shop (see Jennifer’s comment, below)
Top Food and Drug
Wegmans (except as noted above)

Information from other government agencies:

West Virginia Department of Agriculture: West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is warning consumers that a recall on cantaloupes includes products shipped to nearby states Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and that shoppers should make sure that any cantaloupes purchased in those states are not part of the recall. One outbreak case of Listeria monocytogenes has been confirmed in West Virginia.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency: No cantaloupes implicated in the U.S. recall have been shipped to Canada. Canadians who are considering purchasing cantaloupe when travelling in the U.S. are urged to monitor the recall on the United States Food and Drug Administration’s website.
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority: No cantaloupes implicated in the U.S. recall were shipped to the United Arab Emirates.

Finally, this is a list of 25 states which were supplied directly with cantaloupes by Jensen Farms: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

FDA has determined that cantaloupes were not shipped directly to California, North Carolina, Ohio or Virginia. Nevertheless, some redistribution of cantaloupes into these and other states may have occurred. None of the recalled cantaloupes were exported.

I’ll continue to update these lists as more information becomes available.

E. coli O157 – Dishing Dirt, British Style

Raw loose leeks and sacks of potatoes spread a dirty little secret this year in England, Scotland and Wales – an unusual subtype of E. coli O157 known as Phage Type 8 (PT8).

In an outbreak of illnesses that began in December 2010 and continued into July, the Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland and Public Health Wales received a total of 250 reports of illnesses caused by this strain of E. coli O157. Most cases were described as “mild to moderate”; nevertheless, 74 people visited hospital for assessment or treatment, four people developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and one patient with underlying health problems died.

The majority of the illnesses were reported in England (193 cases); Scotland reported 44 cases, and Wales had 14. No cases were reported in Northern Ireland. Forty percent (40%) of the patients were under 16 years old.

Determining the common link in this outbreak was a difficult job for the multi-agency Outbreak Control Team that was charged with the investigation. It took a six-month long investigation and an in-depth statistical case control study to uncover the likely source of the contamination. The Team interviewed 30 patients and 62 controls (healthy individuals), and found two statistically significant differences between the two groups:

Ill people were 40 times more likely than the control group to have been in a household where people handled leeks that were not prepackaged (i.e., sold loose)
Ill people were 12 times more likely to have been in a household where people handled potatoes bought in, or sold from, sacks.

Anyone who has ever peeled potatoes or prepared leeks knows that they often have soil and grit clinging to them. The Outbreak Control Team suspects that contaminated soil from leeks or potatoes may have cross-contaminated during storage in the home.

The leek and potato E. coli O157 outbreak – like this year’s multi-national E. coli O104:H4 outbreak that was traced to contaminated fenugreek seeds, and the UK sprout-related Salmonella outbreak – is a very direct and graphic illustration of the importance of environmental contamination of vegetables and fruit in the spread of food-borne diseases. Yet, in spite of the publicity given to these outbreaks, many consumers still do not associate raw vegetables with food safety risks.

A “Consumer Engagement” research report on E. coli and vegetables, released by the UK Food Standards Agency in mid-September, contained several conclusions, including:

Although, on reflection, consumers recognised specific food safety risks, concerns about food poisoning and bacteria was not top-of-mind when handling vegetables.
Raising awareness of the risk of bacteria in soil would reinforce existing practices without causing undue concern or creating new anxieties relating to food.
Consumers need more information about the risks of handling vegetables, in particular highlighting that bacteria on the skin can cause cross-contamination in people‟s homes. This coupled with a clear explanation of how food hygiene practices combat these risks will help to address existing knowledge gaps.
Consumers need more information about the risks of handling vegetables, in particular highlighting that bacteria on the skin can cause cross-contamination in people‟s homes. This coupled with a clear explanation of how food hygiene practices combat these risks will help to address existing knowledge gaps.

The Food Standards Agency offers a number of tips for preparing and handling food safely in the home, including these suggestions for reducing the risk of cross-contamination:

Remove any loose soil before storing vegetables and salads to avoid cross contamination of clean items.
Thoroughly wash all vegetables (including salads) that will be eaten raw unless they have been pre-prepared and are specifically labelled ‘ready to eat’.
Do not prepare raw vegetables with utensils that have also been used for raw meat.
Keep raw meat and unwashed vegetables away from ready-to-eat foods during storage and preparation.
Use different chopping boards, knives and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or ensure they are washed thoroughly between uses.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw food – including meat and unwashed vegetables. Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, particularly after using the toilet (or helping others including changing nappies), before meals, and after contact with animals or their environments.

Guest Blog: Dealing in Death – Cantaloupes and Listeria

The following Guest Blog first appeared on Marler Blog, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of its author, Bill Marler.

Dealing in Death – Cantaloupes and Listeria

Since “organicfarmer” posted this comment on Food Safety News last week, I have not been able to shake it from my head:

It’s really sad that farms and farmers are getting the brunt of this. I am sad these people died, but median age of 78…. give me a break. In my opinion there is no possible way to make all food safe for all people. I grow food, take extreme precautions to keep the farm as clean from pathogens as possible, but these bacteria are everywhere in the soil. Advances in science are a double edged sword. People have succumbed from so-called food poisons since the beginning of time. It’s probably good common sense to not eat raw foods if you’re old or have a compromised immune system. Now pathogenic bacteria have been found inside the cells of lettuce. No amount of washing will ‘clean’ it.

Perhaps because I spent most of the last week talking to families whose parents or spouses are fighting for their lives or have died too soon – because they ate a damn cantaloupe – or because I am about to drive out to see by 80 plus year old parents, I find “organicfamer’s” comments insensitive at best. Certainly his attitude towards the elderly makes me wonder who purchases his farm products? Frankly, I would take a pass.

Of course his response to me calling him out on his “shit happens” approach to life is to trot out how bad lawyers are and to say about me: “I resent him and all he stands for.”

Dear Mr. unnamed “organicfarmer”, this is what I stand for – people should not be sickened and/or die from eating cantaloupe. Here is just a sample of people impacted and have the courage to stick up for themselves and other consumers by filing lawsuits – and using their names openly:

William Beach 2.jpeg William T. Beach consumed cantaloupe in early August. Mr. Beach subsequently fell ill and on approximately August 28th, was taken to the hospital by ambulance after his wife, Monette, found him collapsed on the living room floor, unable to speak or breathe regularly. Mr. Beach was discharged from the hospital two days later, but his condition worsened and he was again rushed to the hospital, where he died after a failed intubation procedure. The Oklahoma State Department of Health later contacted one of Mr. Beach’s six daughters to inform them that Mr. Beach had tested positive for Listeria and died from his infection.

Clarence Wells.jpeg Clarence Wells consumed cantaloupe on multiple occasions before becoming ill with symptoms of Listeria infection, including fluid retention, on August 23, 2011. By August 25, Mr. Wells had gained 9 pounds and had begun having difficulty breathing. He was taken to the emergency room, and was admitted to John’s Hopkins Medical Center later that day. On the morning of August 31, Mr. Wells’ condition deteriorated and his family was called to the hospital, where they found him unconscious. They never spoke to him, or saw him awake, again. Mr. Wells died the evening of August 31, 2011.

Gomez copy.jpg Juanita Gomez consumed cantaloupe purchased from a local grocery store in early August. By August 20, Mrs. Gomez became ill and developed a fever. When her symptoms progressed, she was taken to the hospital where her temperature measured 105.6 degrees F, her eyes became glassy, and she was unable to respond to simple questions. Tests later confirmed she had been infected with the same strain of Listeria linked to an ongoing outbreak that has been traced to defendant Jensen Farms’ Rocky Ford cantaloupe. Mrs. Gomez was released from the hospital on August 24 and continues to recover at her home

Charles Palmer consumed the Listeria-contaminated cantaloupe in mid-August. He had purchased one whole cantaloupe at the Wal-Mart store located on Razorback Road in Colorado Springs several days before. He fell ill with symptoms of listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria infection, including headache and fatigue, on August 30. The next morning, Mr. Palmer’s wife found him unresponsive and immediately rushed her husband to the hospital, where he has remained ever since. He has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, the strain of Listeria involved in the cantaloupe outbreak.

Herbert Stevens and his wife purchased Jensen Farms-grown Rocky Ford cantaloupe from a Littleton grocery store in early August. On August 24, 84-year-old Mr. Stevens fell ill with symptoms of listeriosis and became incapacitated. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he tested positive for the same strain of Listeria that is involved in the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak. Mr. Stevens remained hospitalized until several days ago, when he was transferred to a long-term care facility. It is not clear if he will be able to return home.

And, “organicfamer” there are dozens of others I spoke to – the family of an 80 year old man who needlessly died in Nebraska and the 56 year old who died in Kansas, or the others who became ill and are struggling to recover, or the ones still in ICU on life support who will soon raise the CDC death toll.

Mr. “organicfarmer,” there are a lot of people who hate me – mostly corporations who poison people – and, honestly, I really do not give a damn. Mr. “organicfamer” you may hate me along with the Cargills, Doles, et al of the world – you, my friend are in fine company.