Two Dead as FDA Refuses To Name Farm That Recalled Melons

The Food and Drug Administration is so far refusing to name a Southwestern Indiana farm that voluntarily recalled its cantaloupes after a Salmonella outbreak that killed two people and sickened some 150.

An FDA spokesperson said the agency won't release the farm's name while its investigation is still under way. Doing so could kill the farm's business before there is certainty about the cause of the bacterial outbreak, the spokesperson said.

But Barbara Kowalcyk, who heads the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, says consumers have a right to timely information so they can protect their families against potential threats.

• "Health Safety Advocates Seek Name of Ind. Farm That Recalled Melons Amid Salmonella Outbreak," Associated Press, August 21, 2012, by Rick Callahan with Charles Wilson.