Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

 Two experienced microbiologists who work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say they were as surprised as anyone to find E. coli O157:H7 in Nestle cookie dough this year.

Writing in a new Public Health Matters blog for the CDC, Gerry Gomez and Mike Humphrys said the lab work they did at the CDC was examined in conjunction with  similar work by 13 public health laboratories around the country. Together, they tested cookie dough from 164 different packages.

"We found that the chocolate chip cookie dough that sick people had eaten didn't come from only one batch,'' the two scientists wrote. "We found it was produced over several months.''

The outbreak itself peaked during May and June. By the end of July, according to a CDC summary, there were 80 confirmed illnesses in 31 states. Thirty-five of the victims received hospital treatment and 10 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) -- a disease that attacks a person's red blood cells and causes serious illness including kidney failure, strokes, heart problems and other damage. HUS also is the leading cause of E. coli deaths, most often affecting young children, the elderly or others who have weakened immune systems.

Like everyone else, including the national food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys who represent victims of E. coli poisoning, Gomez and Humphrys wrote that they are far more accustomed to seeing E. coli outbreaks caused by contaminated and undercooked hamburger or by unpasteurized apple juice.

They also noted that they isolated  E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from the cookie dough by making a slurry from the dough and dropping ultra tiny magnetic beads into the slurry. If there was going to be any E. coli bacteria, it would attach to the beads, which were only 5 percent as wide as a human hair.

From there, a bigger magnet was used to pull out the beads.... giving the scientists a better chance of isolating E. coli.

"Even experienced microbiologists who have 'seen it all' can be surprised and challenged by an old bacteria turning up in a new place,'' the  experts wrote. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

There's still a chance that more people will become infected in the Nestle E. coli outbreak, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its final update on the cookie dough outbreak that has sickened at least 80 individuals -- mostly young women -- since early March.

Of the 80 confirmed cases, 35 people have been hospitalized and 10 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that results in kidney damage and can trigger other major health problems. E. coli O157:H7 infections such as those experienced in the Nestle Toll House refrigerated dough outbreak can be deadly, but no deaths were reported in this outbreak.

According to the CDC, the disease spread over 31 states. The biggest clusters were found in Minnesota (8); Illinois (7); Washington (6); Colorado (6); California (5); Massachusetts (4); Ohio (3) and Texas (3).

Pritzker Olsen attorneys, one of the leading food safety and food poisoning law firms in the country, is currently representing E. coli O157:H7 victims and is accepting cases from the Nestle Toll House outbreak.. Out firm has the resources and experience to take on companies as big as Nestle to make recoveries for victims who ate raw cookie dough contaminated with this potentially lethal pathogen.

The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC continue to warn consumers not to eat any varieties of the recalled Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7. This includes Nestle Toll House cookie dough that does not say "New Batch'' on the labeling.

On June 29, the FDA  announced a finding of E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of prepackaged and previously unopened Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough collected at Nestle's cookie dough plant in Danville, Virginia. Further lab testing showed that the strain in the sample was not the outbreak strain -- so there is still no microbiological smoking gun linking the outbreak to the cookie dough.

But federal officials and state health departments collected strong epidemiological evidence in their interviews with victims -- most of whom said they ate uncooked Nestle Toll House cookie dough before falling ill. To this day, the government warns consumers not even to open the potentially contaminated dough to bake with it, because it could be accidentally ingested or cross-contaminate a kitchen surface.

If you or a loved one were among those sickened in this outbreak, or if you became ill with symptoms of E. coli after eating raw Nestle cookie dough, call an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online E. coli compensation consultation forms for a free case consultation.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

By FRED PRITZKER

Minneapolis, July 15, 2009 -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that Nestle is back in business making and selling refrigerated cookie dought following the Nestle outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with this popular and no doubt profitable product.

As of July 10, 2009, CDC reported that 76 people from 31 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. As of that date, 35 people had been hospitalized, including 11 with a serious complication call HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome. No one has died.

The decision to start selling the product again was made despite the fact that E. coli O157:H7 was found in an unopened package of cookie dough. This strain was not the same as the outbreak strain cultured from stool samples from outbreak survivors -- meaning, most likely, that Nestle cookie dough had a least two separate strains of the deadly pathogen.

Following the June 19, 2009, warning from the FDA not to eat these products, the plant that produced them was shut down, tested and cleaned. According to today's FDA update, part of which is reprinted below, Nestle switched suppliers for the main ingredients and is now back in business producing refrigerated cookie dough:

"However, after a plant shutdown, an investigation, and a cleanup, Nestle is now using main ingredients from new suppliers and is making the cookie dough again. These newly made products are not part of the ongoing recall and are not associated with any illness outbreaks or known contamination. Consumers can identify the newly made products by looking for labels with shields that say "new batch" on them; these batches are not part of the current recall."

It's ironic that by switching suppliers and making a two-word label change, Nestle gets a "do-over'' while the outbreak victims are stuck with a long recovery, medical bills, lost wages and a terrible memory of an illness they will never forget.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

Investigators from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently found two cleanliness flaws at the cookie dough plant in  Danville, Virginia, that spawned the multi-state Nestle E. coli outbreak.

The four investigators signed a report July 9 that said the workmanship of certain hopper valves "does not allow proper cleaning.'' The hoppers hold dry ingredients in the cookie dough prep room.

The same team observed ice build-up on overhead pipes on June 18. The pipes, which transport a processing aid to mixers on four production lines, dripped condensation onto a metal rake used by workers to scrape cookie dough from the mixer into a trough for transport to the filling line. The observation was: "Lack of appropriate design to enable manufacturing systems to be maintained in an appropriate sanitary condition.''

The flaws were listed as "observations'' and Nestle is being given a chance to object to them or implement corrective action before the FDA would make any decision about compliance of food safety rules.

Meanwhile, these and other Nestle plant inspection records are being reviewed by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys as part of its own investigation into the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 72 people in 30 states. The firm's review of previous inspection records at the Danville plant found four areas of concern uncovered at the plant in 2006 and a steadfast refusal by Nestle over the past several years  to disclose internal records about consumer complaints.

In 2004, FDA investigators found headings for two consumer complaints about cookie dough:One for a foreign object in the dough and another involving insects found in the cookie dough.

"The firm refused to offer details on these complaints,'' the inspection report said.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in foodborne illness litigation. Our firm already is representing some victims in the Nestle recall and cookie dough outbreak and is continuing to accept new cases. To contact an E. coli  lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call toll-free 1-888-377-8900 or complete one of our online forms for a free case consultation from an attorney.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said that at least  two different strains of E. coli O157:H7 have been associated with Nestle refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and consumers have been warned not to eat the product in any variety. But so far, health investigators haven't been able to pinpoint where the contamination originated inside the Danville production facility.

FDA's plant inspection reports dating to 2004 do not show the plant out of compliance, but the 2006 inspection found four "deficiencies'' that were discussed with Nestle. According to the FDA report, these were:

• Three live ant-like insects along a wall of the powdered sugar dump station in the cookie dough manufacturing area.
• Dirty stainless steel equipment and utensils in a bin marked as "clean'' in the cookie dough cleaning area.
• Clear liqid dripping from an overhead line in the liquid egg receiving bay.
• Equipment not functioning to properly remove trays of cookie dough on one production line.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration official says health investigators have nearly exhausted all leads and may not ever find out what caused cookie dough in the Nestle E. coli outbreak to become contaminated with the pathogen.

ABC's ace reporter Brian Hartman quoted the official, Dr. David Acheson, in a story that also said at least three types of E. coli O157:H7 are now associated with the Nestle outbreak. At least 72 people in 30 states are victims of the outbreak, which has included at least 10 cases of HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe complication of E. coli O157:H7 infection.

Hartman found insiders who said FDA tests of cookie dough found inside Nestle's plant in Danville, Virginia, showed the presence of E. coli -- but not the type that matched the outbreak strain.

There had been similar results from E. coli tests on Nestle cookie dough recovered previously from a victim's home. Including the outbreak strain of E. coli found in victims, that's three different types of E. coli associated with the cookie dough.

Acheson told ABC that there is no evidence of product tampering.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys continues to accept cases from the Nestle outbreak. Despite the lack of a matching test result, there is strong epidemiological evidence that the cookie dough is what caused so many people to become so sick in so many states. A large number of victims told health investigators they had eaten raw Toll House cookie dough before getting infected. It was on that basis that Nestle agreed to recall ALL VARIETIES of its ready-to-bake Toll House cookie and brownie dough.

ABC reported that Nestle's Danville plant, which has been shut down for inspection and micro-cleaning, is getting ready to reopen for dough-making with all new ingredients.

Pritzker Olsen is one of America's leading food poisoning law firms. Our lawyers are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and we have collected millions for E. coli and HUS survivors by holding corporations, restaurants, grocery retailers, produce growers and meatpackers accountable for adulterated food.

To learn more about our firm or to talk to an E. coli lawyer, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

 A problem arises when a person believes they were sickened by E. coli O157:H7, but in doctor visits never gave a stool sample -- the surest method of proving the cause of foodborne illness.

The question has arisen again in the Nestle cookie dough E. coli outbreak that has infected at least 72 people in 30 states. Fred Pritzker, founder and president of national food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, explains options in a Nestle cookie dough FAQ below.

Our law firm has collected tens of millions for victims of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne illnesses. We are representing victims nationwide and have the resources, experience and skill to represent you and hold parties to the outbreak responsible. Contact an E. coli lawyer at our firm by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing an online form to receive a free case consultation from one of our attorneys.

Here are the Nestle E. coli FAQs:

I got sick after eating Nestlé Toll House cookie dough.  Am I
part of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak?

The best way to determine if you are part of the Nestlé Toll House
outbreak is to have your stool tested. If the stool test is positive
for E. coli O157:H7, further testing is necessary to determine if the
E. coli O157:H7 found in your stool matches the genetic fingerprint
of the samples obtained from other outbreak victims.  If your stool
sample is positive for E. coli O157:H7 and it has the same genetic
fingerprint as the other victims, it is highly likely that you are
part of this outbreak.

I got sick but I was not asked to provide a stool sample.  How
do I prove I was part of this outbreak?

There are many reasons why people with E. coli O157:H7 are not asked
to provide a stool sample.  The problem is that without a positive
stool sample, it’s difficult to say what’s causing your symptoms.
That’s because there are many illnesses and conditions that produce
symptoms similar to E. coli O157:H7. Thus, the best evidence that you
have E. coli O157:H7 is a positive stool sample. However, and as
discussed below, in some cases it is possible to link undiagnosed
symptoms if you have leftover cookie dough that tests positive for E.
coli O157:H7.

I still have some of the Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough.  If
it’s tested and the testing shows it’s contaminated with E. coli
O157:H7, does that mean I have a case even if I did not give a stool
sample?

Under some circumstances, a product that tests positive for E. coli
O157:H7 can help prove you are part of this outbreak even if you did
not provide a stool sample.

Where can I have the Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough tested to
see if it’s contaminated with E. coli O157:H7?

There are labs that will test your cookie dough for you.  You may
contact Exova in Portland, Oregon, at 503-253-9136 for testing your
product . You may also contact Accugen
Labs in Willow Brook, IL at 1-800-282-7102, or fill out an Accugen submission form.  Either
of these laboratories will have you fill out a form to send with your
product. Please note that our law firm is not affiliated with these
labs and we have no contact with or control over them regarding food
testing. Thus, we can accept no responsibility for anything regarding
product testing by these labs including but not limited to lost
samples, the manner in which the testing is performed, test results,
etc.

 Make sure you are clear that you want your product tested for E. coli  O157:H7.

How much does it cost and who pays for it?

Testing will cost about $35-50 depending on how many tests need to be
performed.   You will have to pay that cost via check or credit card
when you ship your product.   If tests show the food is adulterated
with E. coli O157:H7 and we accept your case and later obtain a
recovery on your behalf, you will be reimbursed for all testing costs.

How do I get a sample of Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough and
send it to the testing company?

Products are generally sent in a sealed plastic bag, with an ice pack
to keep your product relatively cold via FedEx overnight service.
When you fill out your shipping form, the lab can assist in choosing
the proper packaging, but anything that is sealed, and keeps the
product cool will most likely work.

How long does it take to find out if the sample is positive?

Results will generally be available in 2-5 days.  If your product is
positive for E. coli O157:H7, further tests on your product may be
necessary to confirm this result, and to determine the exact strain of
E. coli O157:H7.

If the sample is positive, what do I do then?

Immediately contact an E. coli attorney at Pritzker Olsen at
1-888-377-8900.  Further testing on your product may be necessary.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

State and federal health officials are expanding their investigation into the Nestle E. coli outbreak by examining the supplier of flour to Nestle's cookie dough plant in Danville, Virginia.

The Danville News quoted Food and Drug Administration spokesman Stephanie Kwisnek as saying the flour supplier will be looked at with help from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Earlier this week the FDA confirmed a finding of E. coli  O157:H7 in a previously unopened package of Nestle Toll House refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough obtained at the Danville plant. Further tests are being conducted to determine if the organism matches the outbreak strain of E. coli that has sickened at least 72 people in 30 states. The tainted sample was produced February 10, 2009.

If you or someone you love has been sickened with E. coli after swallowing raw Nestle cookie dough or simply from baking with the dough in your kitchen, contact an E. coli attorney at national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. The firm has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and has the resources, experience and skill to represent you against a large multi-national company such as Nestle.

To contact an E. coli attorney at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online forms to receive a free case consultation from a lawyer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  34 patients in the Nestle E. cookie dough outbreak have been hospitalized and ten of those victims developed HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure that is the leading cause of E. coli deaths.

Nestle has halted production of cookie dough at its Danville plant, where federal and state investigators are still probing the cause of the outbreak. The company recalled 300,000 cases of cookie dough from the marketplace, or 3.6 million packages.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

The CDC provided updated Nestle cookie dough outbreak information today:

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to investigate an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections.

As of Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 72 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular DNA fingerprint have been reported from 30 states. Of these, 51 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; these confirmatory test results are pending on the others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (2), California (3), Colorado (6), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), Georgia (1), Iowa (2), Illinois (5), Kentucky (2), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (2), Maine (3), Minnesota (6), Missouri (1), Montana (1), North Carolina (2), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), Texas (3), Utah (4), Virginia (2), Washington (6), and Wisconsin (1).

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

Federal investigators continue their investigation of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with consumption of raw Nestle Toll House cookie dough that has sickened at least 69 people in 29 states. The evidence implicating the cookie dough consists of both epidemiological and microbiological evidence.

According to the CDC:

In an epidemiologic study, ill persons answered questions about foods consumed during the days before becoming ill and investigators compared their responses to those of persons of similar age and gender previously reported to State Health Departments with other illnesses. Preliminary results of this investigation indicate a strong association with eating raw prepackaged cookie dough. Most patients reported eating refrigerated prepackaged Nestle Toll House cookie dough products raw.

In addition to this epidemiological evidence, FDA has uncovered microbiological evidence at the Nestle plant in Danville, Virginia. At least one unopened package of refrigerated Neste Toll House cookie dough that was at the plant tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, according to Nestle USA:

FDA has found and confirmed evidence of E. coli 0157:H7 in a retained production sample of 16.5 oz. Nestlé Toll House refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough bar. The product has a day code of 9041 and a "Best before 10 JUN 2009" notation.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after consuming Nestle Toll House cookie dough, contact our law firm regarding the evidence that can be used in a Nestle lawsuit. If you were sickened but did not have a stool sample tested, you may still have a case against Nestle if you have leftover cookie dough and it tests positive for the outbreak-strain of E. coli O157:H7. Contact our law firm for information regarding testing leftover cookie dough.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

by Attorney Fred Pritzker

 A Wall Street Journal report says that inspection reports covering the past five years show that officials at Nestlé’s Danville, Va. plant, which manufactured the suspected E. coli O157:H7 tainted cookie dough, "refused to allow a Food and Drug Administration inspector to review consumer complaints or inspect its program designed to prevent food contamination." The FDA can only demand access to records if it shows “a reasonable belief” that the foods are a serious health threat.

This just goes to show how absolutely broken our food safety system is. The FDA does not even have authority to inspect a major food producing plant’s records. Thankfully, legislation currently being considered by Congress would strengthen food safety requirements for food producers, calling for them to keep more records, undergo more frequent and thorough inspections, and give the FDA access during inspections. Despite several recent national outbreaks that have sickened thousands, industry insiders made it clear that this legislation would be opposed by many in the food industry. The question that remains – how many people must get sick and die from the food they eat before the food industry acknowledges the system is broken? Hopefully Congress will decide that enough is enough and pass real food safety reform as soon as possible. 

Attorney Fred Pritzker has represented E. coli victims nationwide. If believe you are part of the Nestlé Toll House E. coli outbreak, contact Fred at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

by Attorney Fred Pritzker

The recent multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products is still under investigation by state and federal health authorities.  At this stage of the investigation, there is no solid hypothesis as to how cookie dough became contaminated with a pathogen generally found in the feces of cattle. In all my years investigating and representing victims of foodborne illness, this particular E. coli O157:H7 outbreak may be the most baffling. There simply is not an obvious source of contamination like we have seen with other meat or produce related E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks. One very real possibility, however, is that cross-contamination at some stage of the manufacturing process contaminated the cookie dough on a very large scale.

Cross-contamination is not just a concern for commercial food producers – it poses a risk to every consumer in their kitchen and local grocery store. Consumers need to be vigilant about the food they feed their family, and take time to think about the consequences of using the same utensils and surfaces to prepare potentially dangerous raw food and ready to eat food. Often we do not think about the potential hazards of cross-contamination, yet E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella infections can be lethal. By following these useful food safety recommendations you can greatly reduce the chances your family becomes ill because of cross-contamination.  

When shopping:

• Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery-shopping cart.
• Place these foods in plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods.
• It is also best to separate these foods from other foods at check out and in your grocery bags.
• Ask your grocer or butcher about their sterilization process for utensils and meat cutters that touch raw meat.

When refrigerating food:

• Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in containers or sealed plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods. Raw juices often contain harmful bacteria.
• Store eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible.

When preparing food:

• Wash hands and surfaces often. Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and counter tops. To prevent this:
• Wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers; or handling pets.
• Use hot, soapy water and paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. Wash cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.

Cutting boards:

• Always use a clean cutting board.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, you should replace them.

Marinating food:

• Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
• Sauce that is used to marinate raw meat, poultry, or seafood should not be used on cooked foods, unless it is boiled just before using.

Fruits and vegetables:

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime.
• Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage.
• Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetables, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours.

When serving food:

• Always use a clean plate.
• Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food.

Attorney Fred Pritzker represents E. coli victims nationwide.  He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

Nestle Toll House cookie dough packages are printed with a warning against raw consumption of the product. In a press release, the founder and president of national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys explains the emptiness of the warning and calls on Nestle to immediately pay medical bills and lost wages for victims of the ongoing Nestle cookie dough E. coli outbreak.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 23, 2009 -- Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, a national food safety law firm with extensive experience in E. coli O157:H7 litigation, has called on Nestle USA to immediately pay the medical bills, lost wages and other expenses incurred by victims of the E. coli outbreak that state and federal health officials have associated with eating uncooked Nestle Toll House cookie dough.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the law firm, also said that Nestle will eventually be held accountable for full compensation to victims even though Toll House cookie dough packages carry a warning against eating the product raw. According to Consumer Reports, 39 percent of American consumers make a habit of eating cookie dough raw.

"It's a popular snack eaten from the package and no one knows that better than Nestle,'' Pritzker said. "A tidy little warning against eating raw dough won't get a company off the hook for selling food that is laced with a deadly pathogen.''

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 70 individuals in 30 states have been diagnosed since March 1 with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7, an organism that produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness and death. Thirty of the 70 victims have been hospitalized, including seven who have suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous complication that attacks a person's red blood cells and kidneys. Nestle has recalled ALL varieties of its refrigerated Toll House cookie and brownie dough and the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have warned consumers not to eat or bake with the product.

"It is only fair that Nestle pay for the medical bills of its injured customers,'' Pritzker said. "The families deserve that peace of mind.''

He said other corporations involved in E. coli outbreaks have advanced medical expenses to those injured by their food products. "Corporate responsibility means taking concrete steps to right a wrong. It is time for Nestle to step up and guarantee that its Toll House cookie dough customers will not be stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills,'' he said.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. The firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and it is involved in practically every major outbreak, including the peanut product Salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 700 people and killed nine late last year and early this year. PritzkerOlsen is representing the families of three women who died in the Salmonella outbreak and has filed a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit against Peanut Corp. of America -- the company that federal officials have linked to the outbreak.

Currently, Pritzker Olsen is preparing information for a possible Nestle cookie dough lawsuit and it is doing some of its own investigating into the outbreak and product recall. Most of Nestle's Toll House cookie dough is produced at a factory in Danville, Virginia, where 550 people work. The plant also makes Buitoni refrigerated pasta.

To contact an E. coli  lawyer Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or contact us online by completing one of our forms for a free case consultation.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has weighed in with its first report on the Nestle cookie dough E. coli outbreak and recall, saying that young females dominate the known universe of victims.

The CDC also named all states involved in the outbreak. States with the most cases are Minnesota (6), Washington (5), Colorado (5), Illinois (5), Ohio (4), Massachusetts (4), Texas (3) and Maine (3).

The complete list -- provided by the CDC -- goes as follows:  Arkansas (1), Arizona (2), California (2), Colorado (5), Delaware (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (2), Illinois (5), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (2), Maine (3), Minnesota (6), Missouri (2), Montana (1), North Carolina (1), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), Ohio (4), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), Texas (3), Utah (2), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (1).

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is accepting cases from all states involved in the outbreak, which has sickened at least 66 people. Federal authorities say 25 of the victims have been hospitalized and seven have suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome, a  type of kidney failure that presents severe complications.

If you or someone you know has become ill from eating Nestle cookie dough products, see a physician and make sure E. coli test results are forwarded to your state health department. If you have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 and have eaten raw cookie dough from Nestle, an E. coli attorney at Pritzker Olsen is ready to assist you. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online forms for a free case consultation.

Nestle has said that its cookie dough packages carry a warning not to eat the product raw. But everyone knows that Americans commonly eat raw cookie dough as a treat. In addition, a person could get sick without knowingly eating raw dough -- just from handling it during the cooking process and getting it on your hands.

Nestle has recalled ALL varieties of its refrigerated, prepackaged Toll House cookie and brownie dough and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC have warned consumers not to eat the product raw nor bake it. See the complete recall list by clicking here.

The CDC said the illnesses have been traced to March 1. More than 70 percent of the confirmed cases are in patients under the age of 19. Three-fourths of all patients are female. The CDC said "most'' patients sickened by the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 told investigators that they had eaten raw Nestle cookie dough before experiencing vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. No one over the age of 57 is in the group.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link