Q: Will washing the cantaloupe get rid of the Listeria virus? I assume it is on the outside of the cantaloupe and the inside becomes contaminated by cutting into it.
-- Martha Hunt, Hoschton
A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says scrubbing firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush can help prevent Listeria and other diseases, but it is recommending that consumers not eat Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupe from Colorado-based Jensen Farms as the best way to avoid the current Listeria outbreak. The recalled cantaloupe might be labeled "Colorado Grown," "Distributed by Frontera Produce," "Jensenfarms.com" or "Sweet Rocky Fords." It also might not be labeled, so ask your grocer where the cantaloupe was grown. The CDC recommends: "When in doubt, throw it out." As of Sept. 30, infected people have been identified in 19 states, but none in Georgia.
Q: Did Todd Beamer's wife attend the Sept. 11 service at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.?
-- William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: Lisa Beamer was not in attendance, according to those who attended the service at the site where the hijacked plane crashed. Beamer "lives a private life," her publicist told Q&A on the News in an e-mail. She wrote "Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage" in 2002 and made 200 media appearances in the six months after 9/11, according to MSNBC.com.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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