The resent cantaloupe scare has left produce shelves in grocery stores empty. Listeria-tainted cantaloupes have caused a major crisis in the United States. Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria found only in soil and water. It is killed by pasteurization and cooking, but can grow in refrigerated temperatures. Listeriosis can also lead to lethal or disabling encephalitis and meningitis. This bacteria, linked to cantaloupe, has a death toll of as many as ten people and at least 60 people have been reported ill. According to the FDA’s latest report, “Colorado-based Jenson Farms Inc. shipped Listeria-tainted cantaloupes to five more states than originally thought, bringing the total number of states affected by the outbreak to twenty-two.” Although only certain states have cantaloupe that have been affected, many consumers are being advised to stop consuming all cantaloupe. This halt of consuming cantaloupe has caused a sharp drop in demand for cantaloupe and has also eliminated the supply of the melon. The Listeria outbreak has dramatically decreased the sales and production of cantaloupe, which has negatively affected profits for all cantaloupe growers, even those growers that were producing safe melons in a non-tainted region. The consumer is now most likely to purchase other types of produce which will cause a rise in demand for these other fruits.
