A cantaloupe melon producer in the US that was linked to a deadly outbreak of listeria in the country during September and October last year has declared bankruptcy with liabilities potentially topping US$50m.
According to a report by The Packer, Jensen Farms filed papers with the US bankruptcy court in Denver earlier in the month, with an estimated 50-99 creditors an 12 wrongful death lawsuits among its potential liabilities, as well as seven personal injury lawsuits.
The Packer noted that the group listed US$4.78m in income for the full-year between May 2011 and May 2012.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some 146 people in 28 states were impacted by the outbreak of listeria monocytogenes at the tail-end of 2011, which the FDA reported was likely to have resulted from poor safety procedures at the group's packing facility.
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