Cantaloupe melon was the source of a lethal outbreak of Listeria in 2011. This research investigated whether washing a contaminated cantaloupe rind was sufficient in preventing the transferring of Escherichia coli. Hence, the null hypothesis for this study was that there is no association between washing a contaminated cantaloupe melon and the presence of the contamination in the flesh. In this...

ABSTRACT Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are believed to aid in plant defense against fungal pathogens by inhibiting polygalacturonases (PGs) secreted by the invading organism. In an effort to better understand this type of plant-pathogen interaction in cucurbits, we have isolated a cantaloupe PGIP (CmPGIP) from 5 to 15 day postanthesis cantaloupe fruit. CmPGIP inhibited crude ext...

There are many reports of disease due to consumption of cantaloupes contaminated at the surface with enteric pathogens. Salmonella is among the most frequently reported cause of foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the United States. Research was undertaken to determine the effects of sanitizer and hot water treatments on microbial populations on cantaloupe surfaces and to determine whethe...

The intact fruits of preclimacteric tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) or cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) produced very little ethylene and had low capability of converting 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. When these unripe tomato or cantaloupe fruits were treated with ethylene for 16 hours there was no increase in ACC content or in ethylene production rate, but the tiss...

Kaur, Simran. M.S., Purdue University, December 2013. Chlorine Dioxide Gas Treatment of Cantaloupe: Residue Analysis. Major Professor: Mark Morgan. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a selective oxidant and powerful antimicrobial agent. Previous work has shown that treatment of cantaloupe with ClO2 gas at 5 mg/L for 10 minutes results in a 4.6 and 4.3 log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogen...

Improved methodology for recovering microbial contaminants from cantaloupe surface is needed. Recovery of bacteria from the entire rind of cantaloupes, obtained with a mechanical peeler, and use of a new method for calculating melon surface area were investigated using melons inoculated with Salmonella Poona or Escherichia coli NRRL B-766. Growth of Salmonella but not E. coli was found during p...

FRESH-CUT PRODUCE by ROBIN GWEN SALINSKY BROEKER (Under the Direction of Mark Harrison) ABSTRACT Foodborne botulism is a potentially lethal neuroparalytic illness resulting from ingesting C. botulinum neurotoxins. There is little information concerning the stability of preformed toxin on fresh produce. This research determined the stability of toxin type A on whole grape tomatoes, pre-cut lettu...

Listeriosis is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacillus common in the environment and acquired by humans primarily through consumption of contaminated food. Infection causes a spectrum of illness, ranging from febrile gastroenteritis to invasive disease, including sepsis and meningoencephalitis. Invasive listeriosis occurs predominantly in older adults and persons with impaire...

The effects of peroxyacetic acid (POAA), acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and chlorine on inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on fresh-cut apples and cantaloupe rinds were investigated. Apple cylinders were dipinoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and treated with sterilized water (control), chlorine, AEW or POAA for up to 8 min. Cantaloupe cylinders were spotinoculated with E. coli O157:H7 to th...