Salmonella ruled out in melons grown in Sonora

Sonora's Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Water Resources, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sagarhpa) has ruled out the presence of salmonella in melons in the region, despite reports of salmonella cases that resulted in 6 deaths in Canada and 4 in the United States. After learning of the incidents in early November, Sagarhpa initiated thorough investigations related to the health and safety of cantaloupes.

 

In collaboration with the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Senasica), the Comité Estatal de Sanidad Vegetal was instructed to carry out sampling to rule out the presence of viruses, infections or other problems in the melons. Thanks to these actions, it was assured that the responsibility of melons produced in the Guaymas and Empalme valleys in the cases of salmonellosis reported in both the United States and Canada can be completely excluded.

 

In addition, studies are being carried out in the United States, Canada and other regions of the country to determine if the strain of Salmonella identified in neighboring countries could be found in Mexican territory. Despite the measures taken by SAGARHPA, the investigation is still ongoing to ensure food safety and to rule out any risk to public health.