the cantaloupe that you have is not Jensen Farms , then it 's OK to eat , '' CDC Director Tom Frieden told reporters during a conference call Wednesday . `` But if you 're in doubt , then throw it out . '' The recalled cantaloupes may bear a green-and-white sticker that says , `` Product of USA-Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe , '' or a gray , yellow and green sticker that says , `` Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords . '' But not all cantaloupes may have a sticker , Frieden said . Consumers are urged to ask the supermarket or supplier if they know where the cantaloupes came from . If the cantaloupe 's origins remain unconfirmed , it should be disposed of , he said . However , the likelihood of tainted cantaloupes in the nation 's food supply is decreasing , thanks to the fruit 's short shelf life -- about two weeks , officials said . The recalled cantaloupes were shipped from July 29 through September 10 , `` so we really are nearing the end of the shelf life of the product in addition to its recalled product , '' Sherri McGarry , a
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the wake of a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis linked to bacteria-tainted cantaloupe , authorities assured the public that cantaloupe grown in places other than Colorado 's Jensen Farms is safe . But if in doubt about a fruit 's origin , they said , it 's best to throw it out . The outbreak -- blamed on the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes -- was first reported September 12 . As of Wednesday , it had grown to 72 cases in 18 states and had killed 13 people , officials with the Centers for Disease Control said . The number of cases is expected to rise , as it can take one to three weeks for a person who ingests the bacteria to show symptoms . All of the tainted cantaloupes were grown at Jensen Farms in Granada , Colorado , although they were shipped to 17 states -- Illinois , Wyoming , Tennessee , Utah , Texas , Colorado , Minnesota , Kansas , New Mexico , North Carolina , Missouri , Nebraska , Oklahoma , Arizona , New Jersey , New York and Pennsylvania . `` It 's important to know that if you know