Cantaloupe Salmonella Warning Issued in Missouri

Missouri has 12 confirmed cases of Salmonella Typhimurium, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issued a warning for the cantaloupe, grown in southwest Indiana.

Consumers are advised to throw out the cantaloupe from that area; a sticker on the fruit should identify it. A specific farm or stores carrying the product have not been named.

 spokesperson Lori Willis tells Patch that the company does receive cantaloupe from southwest Indiana, but pulled all cantaloupe from that area from store shelves on Aug.16 as precaution. Currently, Schnucks is only selling cantaloupes from other geographic regions that are not affected by the recall, Willis stated in an email to Patch.

A spokesperson for  that their stores are not involved in the cantaloupe recall.  Dierbergs receives their cantaloupes from California growers, the spokesperson stated in an email.

The following is the alert issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: 

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that twelve confirmed cases of Salmonella Typhimurium in Missouri match the strain associated with the multi-state Salmonella outbreak. The CDC also reports that cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana is the likely source of this outbreak.

As part of the ongoing investigation and interview process with the individuals in Missouri who became ill, at least three individuals have reported eating cantaloupe prior to the onset of illness. This investigation and interview process is ongoing.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is working closely with local health agencies and the CDC to track and report any additional illnesses in the state.

The CDC advises consumers who recently purchased cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana not to eat them and to discard any remaining cantaloupe. Many cantaloupes have the growing area identified with a sticker on the fruit. If no sticker is present, consumers should inquire about the source.