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Cantaloupes - This deliciously juicy fruit has over the years become a staple in most salads and is also commonly used as the base ingredient in deserts such as ice-creams and custards. Cantaloupes have even come to be appreciated among those with a taste for alcohol, with a variety of recipes and cocktails including the unassuming melon as a popular ingredient. While relishing the fruit can be a heavenly experience there are several health benefits associated with the fruit, but what you need to be cautious about are the risks. While there is no direct risk from the cantaloupes themselves, there are health risks associated with consumption because of problems in the production, transportation and storage of the fruits.

Cantaloupes are easily infected by bacteria, mainly the Salmonella Typhimurium and E. coli. The bacteria attack the rough and porous skin of the fruit and stick tightly to the bumps on its surface. The bacteria if consumed can cause numerous health problems, sometimes even causing death. In the U.S. alone, the threat from Cantaloupes has been great. This year alone there have been over 178 infections that have been registered in 17 states of which 62 people have been hospitalized. While the infection can also cause death, there are a lot of ways to help curb the infection from becoming an epidemic.

Here are some of the symptoms that could link to Salmonella Typhimurium infection:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Diarrhea
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Headache,
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions

Keep in mind that there is a difference between healthy caution and paranoia. Just as we address the risk of a car crash by driving carefully and buckling up, there are certain precautions that you need to take when handling most foods. The risk of bacterial infections shouldn't turn you off a food altogether. As Douglas Powell, professor of food safety at Kansas State University says, 'preventing outbreaks isn't complicated: Just pay attention to food safety. The basics have been known for 15 years." Here are some tips that should help keep infections at bay, while you savor those delicious cantaloupes.

1. Food safety actually begins right from the time the seeds are sown. Food safety regulations are absolutely essential to make sure the fruit is grown without using raw manure. The quality of water being used for washing the crop also needs to be monitored.
2. Cantaloupes can easily get contaminated and therefore practices like washing hands before touching the fruit and washing the fruit well before consumption will work wonders in keeping infections away.
3. Knives, forks, spoons and any other kitchenware used while cutting or eating the fruit should also be washed thoroughly in order to prevent any transference of bacteria or other germs from the fruit's outer surface to the inner pulp that you eat.
4. When refrigerating the melon, make sure that it is not kept in contact with other foods, as bacteria from meat and other products can easily contaminate the melon and vice versa.
5. One of the best places to store the melon is in the crisper of the refrigerator. This will ensure that the melon gets the right temperature and humidity levels to stay fresh for a longer period of time.
6. While purchasing cantaloupes from the store; make sure that they are not already ripe as ripe melons will have a shorter shelf life. Make sure you consume the melons within 3-5 days of the purchase.
7. You could use a vegetable brush to wash the melon as this will ensure removal of the bacteria from the open pores on the rind.
8. After cutting the melon with a clean knife, wash the knife and use a clean spoon to gently scrape out all the seeds present.
9. While arranging the slices make sure that the crust does not come in contact with the edible part of the fruit especially if you are serving it to children and people with weak immune systems.
10. Melons that are not eaten should be peeled, refrigerated and covered so that they are free from contamination.

The FDA has estimated that over 400 people die each year as a result of infections with the salmonella bacteria. While these figures may seem rather disturbing, they're actually rather low. You should also keep in mind that only a fraction of all of these outbreaks are caused by cantaloupes as there are other foods that could be contaminated as well. The best thing to do would be to ensure stringent measures to maintain high levels of hygiene when handling all foods. Also make sure you pick up your produce from a trusted retailer. If you've followed these basic safety measures, try not to worry too much about infections and just enjoy your fruits! The more time you spend worrying, the higher your stress levels get and the lower your immunity - leaving you a lot more vulnerable to a food borne infection!

References:

1. http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-cantaloupe-08-12/index.html

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.