California cantaloupe industry sets public hearings on safety

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has scheduled two public hearings to discuss possible changes in the California Cantaloupe program, the state’s marketing order for cantaloupes.

Set for March 8 in El Centrol, Calif., and March 12 in Fresno, Calif., the hearings were requested by the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board.

Proposed changes to the California Cantaloupe Program include establishing and enforcing best agricultural practices specific to cantaloupes; setting up procedures for mandatory food safety audits; expanding the program to cover all cantaloupe handlers in the state; and changing the number of board members.

In 2011, a listeria outbreak traced to cantalopues shipped by a grower in Colorado claimed at least 34 lives and sickened close to 150 people in 28 states.