District Court Judge Charles Pratt has ordered that dozens of cases filed against Primus Labs in connection with a the deadly cantaloupe Listeria outbreak of 2011 move forward. Primus, a third-party auditor, gave cantaloupe grower Jensen Farms a superior rating just weeks before the outbreak. In January, Primus filed a motion to dismiss the cases saying that the damage caused by the contaminated cantaloupe was outside its control. On October 28, Judge Pratt denied the motion saying, "the auditor should have reasonably recognized that the audit was necessary to protect the public from exposure and consumption of harmful cantaloupe" and that "failure to exercise reasonable care in conducting the audit increased the risk to the public from exposure to and consumption of harmful … [Read more...]
Jensen Farms Cantaloupe Owners Arrested, Charged
Eric and Ryan Jensen, the owners of Jensen Farms that was the source of contaminated cantaloupe that caused a nationwide outbreak, were arrested today in Denver on charges brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FDA. The indictment charges the brothers with six counts of adulteration of a food and aiding and abetting. The Justice Department claims that the cantaloupe produced at Jensen Farms was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and the fruit was "prepared, packed and held under conditions which rendered it injurious to health." Documents state that the defendants had a processing center that did not clean bacteria from the product. A system was installed in May of 2011 that was originally designed to clean potatoes, which are cooked before consumption. The system was … [Read more...]
CDC Updates Deadly Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated the multistate outbreak of Salmonella linked to cantaloupes produced on Chamberlain Farms in Indiana. Two outbreak strains of the bacteria have been discovered. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium has sickened 240 people in 26 states, and Salmonella Newport has sickened 30 people in 7 states. The Chamberlain cantaloupes were recalled on August 28, 2012. Watermelons from the farm were recalled on September 9, 2012. The case numbers by state for those infected with Salmonella Typhimurium are: Alabama (16), Arkansas (6), California (2), Florida (1), Georgia (9), Iowa (10), Illinois (26), Indiana (24), Kentucky (70), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (5), Missouri (15), Mississippi (7), Montana … [Read more...]
Salmonella Cantaloupe Lawsuits against Walmart and Chamberlain Farms Filed on Behalf of Children
One lawsuit has been filed against Walmart and Chamberlain Farms, of Owensville, Indiana, on behalf of two children, siblings, who were diagnosed with Salmonella Typhimurium after eating cantaloupe purchased at a Michigan Walmart store. Another lawsuit has has been filed against Chamberlain Farms on behalf of another child from Michigan. According to the lawsuits, the children are part of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections that have been linked to cantaloupe grown by Chamberlain Farms and distributed to retailers, including Walmart, in several states. Kentucky has been hardest hit, with over 50 confirmed cases of illness and two deaths. To date, the CDC has reported illnesses in the following states: Alabama (13), Arkansas (3), California (2), Georgia (3), … [Read more...]
Wal-Mart Cantaloupe Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Two Children Who Contracted Salmonella Infections
Yesterday a lawsuit was filed against Wal-Mart on behalf of two children who are part of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to cantaloupe grown by Chamberlain Farms of Owensville, Indiana. According to the complaint, the two children got sick within days of eating cantaloupe purchased at Wal-Mart. One child was hospitalized for 4 days. "The victims of this outbreak deserve compensation for their illnesses," said Fred Pritzker, national Salmonella lawyer. Pritzker, who recently won $4.5 million for a food poisoning victim, urges victims and families to contact an attorney as soon as possible. "Filing a lawsuit in these cases sends a clear message to growers, distributors and retailers that food sold to consumers should be safe to eat. Parents should not have to worry that food … [Read more...]
