Sanitized cantaloupes have been found to still be susceptible to Salmonella recontamination.

Research was undertaken to determine the effects of sanitizer and hot water treatments on microbial populations on cantaloupe surfaces and to determine whether prior decontamination of melons by sanitizer treatment affects vulnerability to recontamination by Salmonella.

The results of a study clearly showed that sanitized cantaloupes are susceptible to recontamination if exposed to a human bacterial pathogen during subsequent handling, concluded the authors. The research has been published in the journal Food Microbiology.