Avoid cantaloupe unless you know its origins, CDC warns amid salmonella outbreak

Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes, which may show up in some pre-cut mixes, are believed to be behind a growing outbreak of salmonella infections across the U.S. and Canada. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

U.S. food safety officials are urging consumers not to eat certain cantaloupe products, including some fruit cups, due to the risk of illness as they investigate a worsening outbreak of salmonella infections.

The number of reported infections has nearly tripled in the two weeks since the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the outbreak, which appears to be linked to Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes.