Stop eating cantaloupe!

[guy n. cognito]

Uh, NO.

NONONONONO!

Just have enough intelligence to WASH your food before preparing it and don't contaminate the preparation area.

Most of the food-borne diseases in the US are caused by people being careless about contaminating their food prep area and the utensils they use.

If the people preparing cantaloupe had followed recommended procedures in washing the melons and preventing cross-contamination, this would have been prevented.

I used to have a roommate who occasionally ate raw hamburger - the MOST bacterially infused meat I know of. good guy, stupid move.

Chicken is an issue because of salmonella - but cooking at correct temperatures renders this issue moot, because all the bacteria are killed by cooking correctly. Don't cross-contaminate from the utensils and food prep area and you're fine.

I could go on, but those are the facts. Do your job in food prep with ALL your foods, and you have nothing to worry about.

And I'm four hours from Rocky Ford...with fresh cantaloupe on the menu for tonight.

Good point. Wash all fruit, even if you intend to cut of the skin / rind.

 

[elgecko]

This cantaloupe is still guaranteed safe for human consumption!

Cantelope Island - YouTube

 

[spade2you]

Uh, NO.

NONONONONO!

Kitteh agrees with you.

NONONONO Cat - YouTube

 

[boynamedsuse]

Never heard about this until now. TalkBass is amazingly informative.

 

[Munjibunga]

Uh, NO.

NONONONONO!

Just have enough intelligence to WASH your food before preparing it and don't contaminate the preparation area.

Most of the food-borne diseases in the US are caused by people being careless about contaminating their food prep area and the utensils they use.

If the people preparing cantaloupe had followed recommended procedures in washing the melons and preventing cross-contamination, this would have been prevented.

I used to have a roommate who occasionally ate raw hamburger - the MOST bacterially infused meat I know of. good guy, stupid move.

Chicken is an issue because of salmonella - but cooking at correct temperatures renders this issue moot, because all the bacteria are killed by cooking correctly. Don't cross-contaminate from the utensils and food prep area and you're fine.

I could go on, but those are the facts. Do your job in food prep with ALL your foods, and you have nothing to worry about.

And I'm four hours from Rocky Ford...with fresh cantaloupe on the menu for tonight.

While all your recommendations are good ones (which I routinely follow when cooking), I'm not sure washing the canteloupes would have prevented the listeria infections.

 

[Pilgrim]

Kitteh agrees with you.

NONONONO Cat - YouTube

I am honored to receive this high-level confirmation!

I think.

OTOH, we had a cat that would make that same noise...and then immediately barf.

Hmm.

 

[Michael Jewels]

This cantaloupe is still guaranteed safe for human consumption!

Cantelope Island - YouTube

Thanks for posting that!

Ron Carter on bass!

Mike

 

[carlos840]

Uh, NO.

NONONONONO!

Just have enough intelligence to WASH your food before preparing it and don't contaminate the preparation area.

Most of the food-borne diseases in the US are caused by people being careless about contaminating their food prep area and the utensils they use.

If the people preparing cantaloupe had followed recommended procedures in washing the melons and preventing cross-contamination, this would have been prevented.

I used to have a roommate who occasionally ate raw hamburger - the MOST bacterially infused meat I know of. good guy, stupid move.

Chicken is an issue because of salmonella - but cooking at correct temperatures renders this issue moot, because all the bacteria are killed by cooking correctly. Don't cross-contaminate from the utensils and food prep area and you're fine.

I could go on, but those are the facts. Do your job in food prep with ALL your foods, and you have nothing to worry about.

And I'm four hours from Rocky Ford...with fresh cantaloupe on the menu for tonight.

Just wanted to point out that there is no need to be over paranoid about things like that either!

My country's second national dish is stake tartar (raw minced beef, with raw egg, worcester sauce, bit of mayo, we actually call that an "american filet" for some reason) been eating it for 27 years a few times a week and never had a problem with it!

People around here even eat raw sausage meat as sandwich filling and they dont burst into flames!

 

[Muzoid]

Wayda piss of the International Cantaloupe Growers Association!!!

Awesome!

 

[warwick.hoy]

So far, 13 people have died and 72 people have been infected in 18 states according to the latest numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is the deadliest outbreak of a food borne disease that we've indentified in more than a decade," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. "For the public, it's important to know that if you know the cantaloupe you have is not Jensen Farms, then it's OK to eat. But if you're in doubt, throw it out."

Bolded and underlined for emphasis.

CDC: Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak Deadliest in a Decade - ABC News

EVERYBODY RUN IN FEAR OF THE GREAT CANTALOUPE ATTACK OF 2011!!!!!

Why do fundamentalist cantaloupes hate America?

"You Can't Elope."

"Don't call me a cantaloupe you melon head."

While all your recommendations are good ones (which I routinely follow when cooking), I'm not sure washing the canteloupes would have prevented the listeria infections.

While I can't confirm through research; I think in the case of unwashed cantaloupe; this would be the only way to become infected.

Not that this is any sort of proof but all melons are considered PHFs* by the Spokane County Health Department (which leads me to believe that most all health departments consider them PHFs).

If a sniveling bureaucrat (IOWs a county health inspector) comes into your restaurant and sees you cutting a melon on the same cutting board that you prepare ready to eat foods,....they'll fine you.

*PHFs = Potentially Hazardous Foods.

Just wanted to point out that there is no need to be over paranoid about things like that either!

My country's second national dish is stake tartar (raw minced beef, with raw egg, worcester sauce, bit of mayo, we actually call that an "american filet" for some reason) been eating it for 27 years a few times a week and never had a problem with it!

People around here even eat raw sausage meat as sandwich filling and they dont burst into flames!

I'm not overly paranoid about these things,...but a little common sense goes a long way,....especially with the industrialization of American Agriculture.

Also...this is America where fear and sensationalism is the norm.

 

[Thrust Meatnozl]

All melons can burn in Hell!!!!!!!

 

[Akami]

Just wanted to point out that there is no need to be over paranoid about things like that either!

My country's second national dish is stake tartar (raw minced beef, with raw egg, worcester sauce, bit of mayo, we actually call that an "american filet" for some reason) been eating it for 27 years a few times a week and never had a problem with it!

People around here even eat raw sausage meat as sandwich filling and they dont burst into flames!

What you're overlooking is that meat is generally cooked here, and as a result gets less care than in countries where raw meat is consumed. Same goes for the treatment of eggs, fish and horse meat.

 

[warwick.hoy]

What you're overlooking is that meat is generally cooked here, and as a result gets less care than in countries where raw meat is consumed. Same goes for the treatment of eggs, fish and horse meat.

+1

I'd trust raw meat in a foreign country where it is sourced from small family farms over raw meat from a feedlot.

I think there may be a bit of a misconception that agriculture in foreign countries is unsanitary (I will happily be proven wrong) but the conditions of industrialized mass quantity assembly line type of agriculture that we have here in Murica (and other "1st World" countries) is far scarier (that's why the USDA has cooking guidelines on all meats and warnings about raw dairy, meat and eggs). Anyone remember the Mad Cow scare a few years back?

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Anyone remember the Mad Cow scare a few years back?

Do I ever, so glad I broke up with that ex. . .

 

[warwick.hoy]

 

[Sonic_Death]

This is some devastating news for Major Metal and I.

As a member of the Cantaloupe club, I am sincerely (not) offended.