Cantaloupe in New Mexico Pulled From Shelves of Albertsons, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart and Other Stores
Rocky Ford cantaloupe is being pulled form the shelves of grocery stores throughout New Mexico. A New Mexico listeriosis outbreak has killed four people and sickened six others since mid-August, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
Some of the New Mexico listeriosis cases have been linked to a multi-state outbreak that has stricken more than two dozen people around the country. DNA fingerprinting has linked these cases to cantaloupe grown by Jensen Farms in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.
Jensen Farms is voluntarily recalling the Rocky Ford cantaloupe it shipped from July 29 through September 10, 2011, because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis.
The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms, and grocery stores in New Mexico are pulling the melons form their shelves.
Whole Foods Markets and Albertsons have removed Rocky Ford cantaloupes from their stores, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Wal-Mart in Clovis and Portales also removed the cantaloupe from their shelves, according to PNT Online.
Those who became ill live in the following counties: Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Lea, and Otero. Most of the victims suffered from serious chronic health conditions before contracting listeriosis, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
The national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak. If you have an illness associated with this outbreak, contact them for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by submitting your contact information online.
News Source: http://www.pntonline.com/news/bargman-26715-new-listeria.html
