FDA names Ind. farm tied to salmonella in melons

A farmer whose cantaloupes have been linked to a deadly salmonella outbreak says he voluntarily ceased production and has had no other problems at his southern Indiana farm since it began operating in 1982.

Tim Chamberlain says Chamberlain Farms in Owensville stopped producing and distributing melons on Aug. 16 when the Food and Drug Administration alerted him to a possible health risk.
At least two people have died in the outbreak.

Chamberlain says he doesn’t know the cause of the outbreak and that the farm is awaiting instruction from government agencies on what to do next. Owensville is about 20 miles north of Evansville.

FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess says Chamberlain Farms is not necessarily the sole source of the outbreak, saying an investigation is under way. According to the FDA report, the melons initially shipped to Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Further shipment was likely, but additional states have not been identified.