Melons - Health Hazard through Contamination with Pathogenic Bacteria

Melons can come into contact with bacteria, viruses or parasites at any stage of the food supply chain from production and transport to preparation in private households. Pathogens can be transferred from the skin to the flesh of the fruit when the melons are cut. At warm temperatures, in particular salmonella, listeria and EHEC can easily multiply on the flesh which is low in acidity. Accordingly, outbreaks of illness have in the past been triggered by the consumption of melons contaminated with these pathogens. In order to avoid illness, the rules of personal and kitchen hygiene should be strictly adhered to during the preparation of melons. For example, it is important to ensure sufficiently large and clean working areas, clean hands and to use thoroughly cleaned knives and chopping boards. These rules of hygiene are all the more important in view of the fact that a small infection dose suffices to cause an infection from pathogens such as campylobacter, EHEC and norovirus. In addition, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends to food retail stores, catering businesses and community institutions only to cut up small quantities of melons which can be sold to customers within about two hours. Consumers should eat cut up melons quickly or, alternatively, refrigerate them as soon as possible. Pieces of melons which have been kept unrefrigerated for several hours or exposed to high temperatures (e.g. through sunlight), should, as a precaution, be disposed of. To protect themselves against infections, especially sensitive persons should, to be on the safe side, refrain from eating cut melons which have been stored at room temperatures for several hours. Risk groups include pregnant women, small children as well as elderly and sick persons. These groups should think carefully before eating cut-up melons, if they do not know whether the fruit has been kept unrefrigerated for lengthy periods of time.DE; de; efsa-focal-point@bfr.bund.d