By Andi Anderson
Purdue University and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have partnered with Indiana cantaloupe farmers in a multiyear study aimed at understanding Salmonella prevalence and persistence in the region.
This initiative focuses primarily on Southwest Indiana, a key cantaloupe-growing area. With assistance from local farmers, the study will extend ongoing efforts to enhance food safety across the state.
Researchers from Purdue are collecting data from various locations, including farms in central Indiana and Purdue-operated farms in Tippecanoe County and Vincennes.
They are sampling air, soil, water, and animal scat, while also monitoring weather conditions. The study even explores the potential role of bee pollination in the spread of pathogens.
This research was initiated following a Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes grown in Southwest Indiana, though the exact source of contamination remains unknown.
Previous studies in states like Arizona, California, and Florida have similarly aimed to address pathogen outbreaks in produce.
As of 2018, Indiana ranked sixth in the U.S. for cantaloupe production, with 1,800 acres planted and a production value of $8.6 million.
Southwest Indiana growers also produce other crops like sweet corn, tomatoes, and watermelons, which have remained uncontaminated.
Leading Purdue’s share of the study is associate professor Amanda Deering, who highlighted the farmers’ commitment to food safety.
Purdue Extension’s Scott Monroe, along with students from the Food Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing Institute (FEMI), are also involved in the research.
The study seeks to understand how environmental conditions contribute to pathogen movement and contamination before harvest. However, contamination can also occur during transportation or at retail outlets.
Deering emphasized that handling practices at stores, where shoppers touch multiple cantaloupes before making a selection, can transfer contaminants.
Indiana cantaloupe growers have worked closely with food safety experts like Deering and Monroe for years. Last year, Deering’s team tested sanitizers for washing cantaloupes, and their findings led many growers to switch to more effective treatments, ensuring safer produce.
This partnership reflects a deep commitment from both researchers and farmers to protect the health and livelihoods of those involved in Indiana's produce industry.
Photo Credit: purdue-university
Categories: Indiana, Education