Listeria Death Lawsuits Keyed by FDA Cantaloupe Findings at Jensen Farms
Listeria death lawsuits stemming from the Jensen Farm cantaloupe outbreak were informed by new findings this week, including a Food and Drug Administration report of unsanitary conditions in Jensen's melon-washing and packing facility.
The company had purchased a potato washing machine and installed it this summer to handle the 2011 cantaloupe harvest. FDA inspectors found it to be dirty and very hard to keep clean. The inspection also found standing water on the facility's floor -- which was also poorly designed for cleaning. The conditions -- coupled with questionable melon-cooling techniques that led to condensation on the rinds -- were breeding grounds for Listeria that has been linked to 25 deaths, one miscarriage and 123 illnesses in 26 states. See more on the FDA cantaloupe report.
FDA officials told reporters the agency had never inspected Jensen Farms cantaloupe operation in 20 years of operation. The officials said they have learned that a private inspection led to high marks for Jensen shortly before the outbreak started.
USA Today reported that Primus Labs of Santa Maria, California, gave the Jensen Farms packing house a "superior" rating just six days before the outbreak started. The private inspector noted that the newly installed equipment used water that was not treated with anti-microbial solution, but he didn't score them down for it. A food safety expert told USA Today that the lack of anti-microbial agents, such as chlorine, posed another risk.
National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who represents victims in the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak, said the latest findings will be key to the Listeria litigation. Meanwhile, the outbreak is not over and PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is continuing to accept new cases at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and a lawyer will call you. Consultations are free. If the firm agrees to take your case, you pay nothing until your claim is won.
As the facts become known, it's clear that the nation's deadliest outbreak of foodborne disease in the past 25 years was preventable. In addition to representing victims, our firm has been actively working for many years to help keep deadly pathogens out of the food supply and to hold those who are irresponsible accountable for their actions.
