Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in water and soil. Officials speculate that the cantaloupes were contaminated by irrigation water or a heavy rainstorm. The cantaloupe’s textured skin can trap and hold bacteria it picks up during growing, harvesting, packing, storage, transport, and distribution.
Can you eat the outside of cantaloupe?
Eating thin skin of various fruits and vegetables increases the nutrient and fiber content, however, thick skins such as those found on melons are not intended to be eaten. Be sure to rinse melons under cold running water to remove any bacteria or dirt on the surface of the skin.
How do melons carry listeria?
Goodridge said from farm to table, there are many places where melons can be subjected to bacterial growth, whether on the rind or in the cantaloupe’s flesh. They’re also dense with water, which make them susceptible to the growth of listeria, salmonella, and E. coli. “Bacteria love water to grow,” Goodridge said.
Can you remove all listeria by washing a cantaloupe?
Colorado health officials warned people especially vulnerable to listeriosis, a bacterial infection marked by fever and muscle aches, to avoid the suspected melons: Although washing and drying produce is a good practice, it does not reduce the chance of listeriosis for those who are at high risk.
How do you prevent listeria from cantaloupe?
To help prevent infection, the CDC recommends you do the following: Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking them. Scrub farm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Is a cantaloupe still good if it has mold on the outside?
Suslow and Patricio both warn that any nicks or cuts in the rind or any mold on the rind or at the blossom end can be a pathway that pathogens can use to get into the flesh of the melon.
Can you eat the outside of a melon?
The rind, which is the green skin that keeps all that water-logged delicious fruit safe, is completely edible.
How do you get listeria from cantaloupe?
Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in water and soil. Officials speculate that the cantaloupes were contaminated by irrigation water or a heavy rainstorm. The cantaloupe’s textured skin can trap and hold bacteria it picks up during growing, harvesting, packing, storage, transport, and distribution.
Should you wash your cantaloupe before cutting it?
Many of the illnesses have been associated with cantaloupe consumption. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before cutting melons. Before cutting, wash the outer surface of the melon thoroughly with cool tap water to remove surface dirt; scrub with a clean produce brush.
How do you disinfect cantaloupe?
Use a brush to scrub the outer surface of the cantaloupe under running water for 1 minute. This step is recommended by the FDA to achieve greater reduction of bacteria. Surface cleaning is followed by sanitizing, which involves soaking the whole cantaloupe in the hot water bath at 180°F for 5 minutes.
What are the first signs of listeria?
The symptoms vary with the infected person: Higher-risk people other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever, and other non-specific symptoms like chills and headache.
How do you sanitize a melon?
1) Before cutting, wash the melon in cold water and rinse. 2) Immerse the melon in a sanitizing solution of 50 to 100 ppm chlorine for 2 minutes or longer. Do not use Quat compounds on food items. 3) Wash your hands.
Why do people tap on melons?
Knocking on a watermelon is a commonly used way to test if the fruit is fresh and ripe. If you knock on a watermelon and it makes a hollow sound, that’s a sign that it’s ripe. If it sounds like it’s full, it’s not ready yet.
How do you remove fruit from Listeria?
Consumers are advised to wash all fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking, even if you plan to peel the produce first. Scrub firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
Can over ripe cantaloupe make you sick?
There’s nothing wrong with eating overripe cantaloupe. It’s just as delicious as cantaloupe at its prime ripeness, just sweeter and muskier. Unless it’s spoiled—don’t eat cantaloupe that looks slimy or has dark spots spreading on it.
Why is my cantaloupe white inside?
The unripe cantaloupe flesh has a pale green or white color. These melons offer a quite bland flavor with stiff texture as well as the lack of fragrance – which is edible but tastes no more than a vegetable.
When should you not eat a cantaloupe?
If the aroma isn’t sweet and pleasant, but rather sour or pungent, throw it out. Are cut up and sit in storage for too long or are moldy. If your cantaloupe half sits in the fridge for like a week, it has to go. Same thing if you can see any signs of mold in the container or bag.
Is cantaloupe good if it is slimy?
However, nothing is made to last forever. Should you notice any bruises, mold, slimy appearance, or off smells, it could be time to toss your cantaloupe.
How long will cantaloupe last in the refrigerator?
Under these conditions, cantaloupes are acceptable for up to 3 weeks. Cantaloupes stored at refrigeration temperatures below 41 °F will have approximate shelf life of up to 5 days.
What happens if you eat cantaloupe rind?
Both Salmonella and Listeria bacteria may be present on the rind of a cantaloupe. These organisms can cause foodborne illness.
What is cantaloupe rind good for?
Cantaloupe rinds can be added to a compost pile along with other plant-based yard and food wastes. They’ll break down within a few weeks or months to make a rich soil amendment. Add a few cantaloupe rinds per week only to the compost heap because the rinds are bulky and take longer to decompose than other materials.