The Huge Contaminated Fruit Recall That Led To 33 Deaths

It wasn't contaminated chicken or undercooked pork. In the summer of 2011, the deadliest foodborne outbreak in recent United States history started with a piece of fruit. Cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado were contaminated with Listeria, a type of bacteria, and ultimately triggered a massive nationwide recall. This outbreak ultimately killed 33 people and hospitalized at least 147 across 28 states. 

As CBS News Colorado reported, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traced the contamination to the farm's unsanitary conditions: equipment that was hard to clean, no antimicrobial rinse, and a facility that previously handled potatoes. Unlike more familiar recalls involving leafy greens or ground beef, cantaloupe typically doesn't carry listeria, so consumers didn't see it coming. And that is the part that made the outbreak so dangerous. 

There were no warning signs, no usual suspects — just a piece of fruit that tragically turned fatal. The outbreak was so serious that federal prosecutors pursued criminal charges against Jensen Farms.

Cantaloupe doesn't exactly scream danger. But that bumpy, netted skin? It's a bacteria trap. Unlike chicken or eggs, melon isn't something you generally cook before eating, so there's no last-minute step to eliminate Listeria and other bacteria. If a farm cuts corners on cleaning or skips proper sanitizing, the damage is done long before the fruit hits your fridge.

That's exactly what happened in 2011. The machines had previously been used for potatoes and lacked a chlorine rinse, so by the time anyone noticed, 33 people had died.

More than a decade later, we're still seeing dangerous outbreaks. In late 2023, tainted cantaloupe linked to a Salmonella outbreak killed six people and hospitalized dozens more. It wasn't caught until the fruit had already landed on shelves across the country, making it one of the largest produce recalls in recent memory.

And these aren't isolated flukes. As our food supply becomes more centralized and industrialized, mistakes ripple farther and faster. From E. coli in lettuce to Listeria in ice cream, the deadliest food recalls in U.S. history are a reminder that what we eat is only as safe as the systems that produce it.