Dirty Equipment to Blame for Contaminated Cantaloupe
Standing water and old, hard-to-clean equipment is to blame for the deadly listeria outbreak in cantaloupes, the Food and Drug Administration says.
Agency officials said Wednesday that packing equipment at Jensen Farms in Colorado was contaminated and is likely to blame for the outbreak that killed 25 people.
Jensen Farms recently purchased used equipment that was corroded and hard to clean. Water on the floor used to cool the cantaloupes after they were picked also contributed to the contamination, the FDA said.
The Center for Disease Control says the contaminated cantaloupe has contributed to 25 deaths in six states, 123 illnesses and at least one miscarriage.
Published by Medicaldaily.com
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