Cantaloupe (also cantaloup, mushmelon, muskmelon, rockmelon or spanspek) refers to a variety of Cucumis melo, a species in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes nearly all melons and squashes. Cantaloupes range in size from 0.5 to 5.0 kilograms (1.1 to 11 lb). Originally, cantaloupe referred only to the non-netted orange-fleshed melons of Europe; however, in more recent usage it has come to mean any orange-fleshed melon (C. melo).
Cantaloupes have been linked to listeriosis illness caused by Listeria bacteria that contaminated the fruit while they were being stored and sorted in cold conditions after harvest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the link between cantaloupe Listeria contamination and human sewage sludge that may have become airborne from a nearby farm.
Cantaloupes have been linked to listeriosis illness caused by Listeria bacteria that contaminated the fruit while they were being stored and sorted in cold conditions after harvest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the link between cantaloupe Listeria contamination and human sewage sludge that may have become airborne from a nearby farm.
