The produce industry, Food and Drug Administration and Purdue University have launched a new multi-year study to analyze the spread of salmonella in cantaloupe production following several outbreaks of tainted melons.
The study aims to understand the ecology of human pathogens, focused on salmonella, in southwest Indiana.
Multiple salmonella outbreaks have occurred in the area, but experts are not sure what started and spread the contamination. However, the strains were genetically similar to clinical and food isolates collected in the region over the last decade, suggesting a recurring issue in the area.
“The outbreak investigations have shown that there are complex environmental survival, proliferation and dispersal mechanisms of pathogens in this region that need to be better understood,” FDA wrote in an announcement.
In 2012, a salmonella outbreak that spanned 20 states, sickened about 141 people and resulted in two deaths was linked to a southwest Indiana cantaloupe farm. Ten years later, another cantaloupe outbreak caused 87 reported illnesses and 32 hospitalizations. Three Indiana farms tested positive for salmonella, though not the specific outbreak strain.
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Cantaloupe production in Indiana ranked sixth in the country in 2018, according to USDA data. That same year, growers planted 1,800 acres of cantaloupe with a production value of $8.6 million, according to Purdue.
FDA will partner with water quality, food safety and agricultural experts from Purdue and others to collect and study environmental samples from surface waters, soil and dust. They will also assess the impact of animals and native wildlife.
“The growers want to participate in this study because of their commitment to do everything they can to keep their produce as safe as possible,” said Amanda Deering, associate professor of fresh food produce safety at Purdue.
FDA has conducted several similar studies following produce-related outbreaks. The agency recently released preliminary findings from a multi-year study in Yuma, Arizona, that linked concentrated animal feeding operations in the spread of E.coli to leafy greens.For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
