Colorado farm recalls Rocky Ford cantaloupe due to possible Listeria contamination

A Colorado company, Jensen Farms, has issued a recall on any Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe it distributed recently because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

According to a release from Jensen Farms, the recall shows cooperation with Colorado health officials investigating a multi-state outbreak of Listeria poisoning. At least 11 people in four Midwest states have been confirmed with Listeria poisoning and most reported eating cantaloupe grown in the Rocky Ford growing region of Colorado.

Jensen Farms said it shipped its Rocky Ford cantaloupes to distributors in Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Affected cantaloupes have a green and white sticker reading: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. If a cantaloupe is unlabeled, Jensen Farms urges consumers to contact their grocer to confirm its supplier of the fruit.

The fruit included in the recall was shipped from July 29 until Sept. 10.

No illnesses have been linked to the consumption of Jensen Farms cantaloupe, specifically, but an investigation and the outbreak of Listeria poisoning is ongoing.

Listeria poisoning poses serious risks, especially to pregnant women who risk suffering miscarriage or still birth if they become infected. The illness is marked by muscle and joint cramps, high fever, severe headaches, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms can become life-threatening for children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.