WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration said the deadly listeria outbreak in cantaloupe was probably caused by pools of water on the floor and old, hard-to-clean packing equipment at a Colorado farm.
The agency said Wednesday that contamination at the packing facility at Jensen Farms is likely to blame for the outbreak that killed 25 people in a dozen states. Investigators found positive listeria samples on equipment and fruit there.
The FDA said Jensen Farms had recently purchased used equipment that was corroded and hard to clean. The agency said the way the cantaloupes were cooled after coming off the fields may have also contributed to listeria growth.
The outbreak started in August when two people died in Colorado and seven others became sick. After listeria was found in cantaloupes, health officials issued warnings and schools begin pulling them from their menus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak sickened 123 people in 26 states.
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