Walmart and Chamberlain Farms Sued over Salmonella in Cantaloupe

Aug 27, 2012

Lawsuits Have Been Filed on Behalf of Affected Michigan Children

Lawyers in Michigan have filed lawsuits against retail giant Walmart and one of their fruit suppliers, Chamberlain Farms of Owensville, Indiana, over salmonella bacteria found in cantaloupe. The cantaloupe was produced by Chamberlain Farms and sold at Walmart, among other retailers, which has led to more than 170 cases of illness and at least two deaths.

The first lawsuit was filed on behalf of two children (siblings) who were diagnosed with Salmonella Typhimurium after eating cantaloupe sold at a Walmart store in Michigan. The second lawsuit also representing a child from Michigan, was filed against fruit producer Chamberlain Farms. These children became ill from Salmonella bacteria and are part of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that has been linked to eating cantaloupe produced by Chamberlain Farms.

The Center for Disease Control has reported illnesses relating to the contamination including the following states and number of people affected: Alabama (13), Arkansas (3), California (2), Georgia (3), Illinois (21), Indiana (18), Iowa (7), Kentucky (56), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (6), Minnesota (4), Mississippi (5), Missouri (12), New Jersey (2), North Carolina (3), Ohio (4), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (4).

These lawsuits could be the first of many. “Victims of this outbreak and their families should be compensated for medical expenses, lost income, physical pain, emotional distress and other damages,” said attorney Fred Pritzker, national Salmonella lawyer and food safety advocate. “Businesses responsible for growing and selling contaminated food need to be held accountable, and these lawsuits accomplish that.”

According to Pritzker, who represents Salmonella food poisoning victims throughout the United States, these kinds of cases generally make claims under three classifications of liability: strict liability, negligence and breach of contract. “Food sold for human consumption should be always be free of dangerous pathogens like Salmonella,” said Pritzker.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.