Indy farmers markets sell cantaloupe

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Ron Harris, owner of Locally Grown Gardens, a Broad Ripple farmers market, said he won't stop selling cantaloupe until the Indiana State Department of Health says he has to.

Harris has owned his business for five years, and said he's been through salmonella outbreaks before.

“I know who grows the product and how it's cared for, so that eliminates any concern of any danger or any quality issues,” Harris said of this latest salmonella outbreak.

He said his cantaloupes are not from the southwest part of the state, where this outbreak is believed to have started.

Over the years, Harris said he's built relationships with his growers and is confident in their products.

“I know every single item that we offer,” Harris said. “I know every person that grows every item."

The Indiana State Department of Health said there's no way to know by looking which cantaloupes are contaminated.

State epidemiologist Pam Pontones said cantaloupe with stickers that indicate an origin other than southwest Indiana are considered safe to eat.

But she warned, if you're not sure where your cantaloupe came from, throw it out.