No traceability measures
As for traceability, Chamberlain could not provide Indiana or FDA officials with much information. Chamberlain told The Packer in August that he did not use lot numbers. A list of distributors and retailers who received Chamberlain cantaloupe has not been released.
“Once the melons leave on shipping trucks, Mr. Chamberlain is unaware where they are heading,” according to the Indiana report.
Chamberlain, who began recalling his cantaloupe Aug. 17 continues to maintain there is no link between his fruit and the salmonella outbreak.
“While we acknowledge that the FDA report notes certain conditions allegedly observed at Chamberlain Farms, there is nothing in the report to indicate the conditions are a source of or contributed to any reported illnesses,” Chamberlain said in a written statement issued through his attorney.
The Indiana report states Chamberlain said he “will not be doing cantaloupes in the future and was planning on selling his cantaloupe equipment."
The CDC also issued a final statement about watermelon from the farm, which tested positive for a strain of salmonella that was “indistinguishable” from salmonella that sickened another 25 people in eight states, The CDC, however, could not verify a link between Chamberlain’s watermelons and the illnesses.
“Interviews did not identify a clear link between these illnesses and consumption of melons,” the CDC reported.
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