Cantaloupes could be contaminated with Salmonella while they’re growing, or during harvest and handling, according to Teresa Bergholz, PhD, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University.
Melons are grown close to the ground, and it’s possible that cantaloupes are exposed to bacteria from soil, animals, or the water used for irrigation.
“The ‘netted’ surface of the cantaloupe can facilitate microbes attaching to the surface, and can make it more difficult to remove microbes once they are present,” Bergholz told Verywell in an email.
Bergholz added that contaminated cantaloupes could also come in contact with other cantaloupes during processing and spread the pathogen further.
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