Why is scrubbing the muskmelon exterior necessary even if peeling?

Peeling residue can transfer surface bacteria inward when cutting

A critical safety step when preparing melons for consumption involves thoroughly cleaning the exterior surface with a clean vegetable brush under running water, irrespective of whether the consumer intends to eat the rind or not. The reasoning behind this mandatory scrubbing is that the knife used to cut through the tough outer layer can drag bacteria residing on the surface directly into the edible interior flesh. If one were to simply peel the melon without prior scrubbing, residual contamination from the rind could easily transfer onto the knife blade and subsequently embed itself into the parts of the fruit that will be eaten. This procedure is a non-negotiable barrier against ingesting surface contaminants like Listeria.