Barbara Kowalcyk, a food safety advocate featured in the documentary Food, Inc., spoke out about giving the public information regarding the recent salmonella outbreak in cantaloupe from an Indiana farm, in an Associated Press article from Aug. 21.
In total, two have died and at least 176 others in 21 states have fallen ill from the salmonella-contaminated fruit.
MORE: Possible E. Coli Contamination Prompts Romaine Lettuce Recall in 19 States
Kowalcyk, the CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, and other health safety advocates wanted the name of the farm released, so that the public would know to be careful and aware of the problem.
"When you have people who are getting sick and hospitalized and even dying, in my opinion as a consumer advocate, that takes precedence,” she told the Associated Press. You need to give people the information they need to make informed decisions for their families."
Kowalcyk, whose son died of an E. coli infection, was heavily featured in Food, Inc., a documentary that lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, produced by TakePart’s parent company, Participant Media.
Since that Aug. 21 article, health officials have released the information in question, warning consumers to throw away cantaloupes from Chamberlain Farms in Owensville, according to the Associated Press. To date, 62 people have been hospitalized.
The FDA recommends not eating the recalled cantaloupe, even after washing, because the bacteria can get inside the flesh. In 2011, salmonella caused an estimated 1.03 million illnesses, and almost 20,000 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Does the recall make you wary of eating cantaloupe, even outside of Indiana? Let us know in the comments.
Related stories on TakePart:
• Cantaloupe Investigation: 2011's Listeria Outbreak Was Preventable
• Have We Reached Recall Fatigue?
• We're Not Lovin' It: McDonald's Apples Recalled Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Kelly Zhou hails from the Bay Area and is currently a student in Los Angeles. She has written on a variety of topics, predominantly focusing on politics and education. Email Kelly | @kelllyzhou | TakePart.com
