California’s Cantaloupe Industry Improves Safety Measures

First off - you should know that there wasn't a concern about cantaloupes.  (With the alarming number of recalls, etc these days - I felt that I needed to alert you that this ISN'T a story about recalls and cantaloupes).  In fact - Cantaloupes have never been involved with a foodborne illness.

Instead, the California growers of the summertime-fruit have shored up their safety programs to ensure that their high standards continue.

What does this all mean for you?  Basically, continued assurance that the cantaloupes you buy in your local grocery store will meet the expectations you have for them.

According to the announcement from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board will now include a food safety certification program that requires inspection to a set of production and handling metrics and will make it an unfair trade practice not to comply with the metrics.

So go ahead - eat more cantaloupes this summer.  If you need help selecting "the right" one from the bin at your grocery store, just remember to sniff it;  A ripe cantaloupe will smell like a ripe cantaloupe - even  through it's skin.

California cantaloupe industry approves food safety program | Management content from Western Farm Press.