Ike Fejeran, GDOE program coordinator, said he received confirmation from the Defense Logistics Agency, the food contractor of commodities for GDOE, that the cantaloupe it supplies to the education department is not part of the tainted batch from Jensen Farms in Colorado, the source of the listeria-contaminated cantaloupes.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported last week an outbreak of listeriosis caused by contaminated cantaloupes in Colorado has caused 15 deaths and has sickened 84 people in 19 states.
On Sept. 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a press release, warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes shipped by Jensen Farms.
GDOE pulled cantaloupes from its menu last week over fears its cantaloupes could be contaminated. But Fejeran said DLA cleared the cantaloupes it supplies and GDOE yesterday said it will put the fruit back on the menu.
The Department of Public Health and Social Services also stated that based on reports from the U.S. CDC, none of the cantaloupes imported to Guam came from Jensen Farms.
Cynthia Naval, planner for the Division of Environmental Health, said a recall notice was sent to all retailers and wholesalers on Guam and none have reported carrying the contaminated cantaloupes as of yesterday.
Reuters recently reported another fresh produce item, romaine lettuce, has been possibly contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria which causes listeriosis.
