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

Researchers at Sentinel Bioactive Paper in Ontario have developed a bacteria-killing food packaging material that may prevent future foodborne illness outbreaks.

Hany Anany and Mansel Griffiths, from the University of Guelph, applied phages, which are harmless viruses that can kill bacteria, to cellulose packaging material. Both the U.S. FDA and Health Canada have approved phages as safe food additives in certain foods.

The researchers wrapped ready-to-eat meats tainted with E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes in the packaging and found that it killed the bacteria. The method works at refrigerated temperatures, where Listeria thrives, and in vacuum packaging. The process is described in a paper published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The researchers are hopeful that the technology will prevent future foodborne illness outbreaks such as the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak, which has sickened more than 123 people and killed 25 since the end of July.

Foodborne illness is a serious public health threat that affetcts millions of Americans every year. In the last month alone, three companies have recalled a total of almost 600,000 pounds of ground beef possibly tainted with E. coli O157:H7. Commercial Meat Company of Los Angeles recalled 400,000 pounds, Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. of Emporia Kansas recalled 131,000 pounds and Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo, Texas recalled 40,000 pounds.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

An Ohio E. coli outbreak has prompted a ground beef recall by Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. as state and federal health experts investigate a possible connection. The E. coli O157:H7 illnesses are located in Butler County, an area north of Cincinnati centered in Hamilton, Ohio.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service published the Tyson recall notice (see below) for 131,300 pounds of ground beef after the agency was notified of the Ohio outbreak, which has illness onset dates rangining from September 8 through September 11. The Class I High Health Risk recall did not say how many people have been sickened or whether the outbreak involves cases of HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.

National E. coli lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., also are investigating this ground beef outbreak, providing free consultation for victims interested in an Ohio E. coli lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our law firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for E. coli victims around the country.

USDA said the on-going investigation involved collecting leftover ground beef from the "patients’ home" on Sept. 19. The sample tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s laboratory.

The recall involves certain Kroger-brand ground beef, Butcher's Brand ground beef and generic label ground beef shipped to distribution centers in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina,  Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Texas and Wisconsin. The potentially contaminated ground beef was produced by Tyson in Emporia, Kansas.

September 2011 Tyson ground beef E. coli O157:H7 recall:

• 5-pound chubs of Kroger-brand "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 40-pound cases containing eight chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 QW." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in Ind. and Tenn. for retail sale.
• 3-pound chubs of Butcher’s Brand "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 36-pound cases each containing 12 chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 LWIF." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in N.C. and S.C. for retail sale.
• 3-pound chubs of a generic label "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 36-pound cases each containing 12 chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 LWI." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in Del., Fla., Ga., Md., Ill., Ind., Mo., N.Y., Ohio, Tenn., Texas and Wis. for retail sale.

The products subject to recall have a "BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY" date of "SEP 12 2011" and the establishment number "245D" ink jetted along the package seam.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo is recalling 40,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products subject to recall include:

• 40-lb boxes containing four 10-lb chubs of fine ground beef.
Each case bears “Est. 7282” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a production code of 19110.

The frozen product was produced on Sept. 9, 2011, and shipped to two Georgia warehouses for further distribution including six school districts in Georgia associated with the National School Lunch Program. Most of the beef was not distributed and remains at the the warehouses. FSIS is not aware of any product having been served as part of school lunches in the districts. No illnesses have been reported.

Palo Duro discovered the problem when by lab tests confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7 on September 22 and issued the recall the next day. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. Those most at risk of infection are the very young, seniors and people with weakened immune systems.

Ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill harmful bacteria. The only way to confirm that ground beef has been cooked properly is to use a food thermometer.

Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_075_2011_Release/index.asp 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

With major E.coli outbreaks and ground beef recalls in the news this summer, meat inspection has been a topic of news and conversation, a conversation, it turns out, that we, as a nation, have been having for more than a century. On this date in 1890, the United States passed its first meat inspection law. 

Today, the United States is the world’s largest producer and consumer of both beef and chicken and the third-largest producer and consumer of pork, according to US Census data. As the industries have grown, so have the challenges of keeping consumers safe and the number of laws that govern the industries.

It took 14 years and the publication of "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair’s 1905 novel that exposed the filthy conditions and the exploitation of workers in a Chicago meatpacking house, before regulations governing the process of beef production were enacted.

The filthy conditions described in the book created a firestorm of public debate. Sinclair urged President Theodore Roosevelt to support the presence of federal inspectors in the meat-packing houses and, in 1906, both the Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act were passed into law.

More than a century later, we’re still struggling to find the best way to keep consumers safe from foodborne illness. This summer, E coli contamination prompted McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC. of North Branch, Michigan to recall about 360 pounds of ground beef,  JB Meats of Avondale, Ohio to recall more than 70,000 pounds of ground beef. And Cargill recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey after a Salmonella outbreak sickened 111 people in 31 states.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/about/Agency_History/index.asp

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

E. coli O157:NM is a dangerous pathogen at the center of a Michigan foodborne illness outbreak linked to ground beef products from McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC, in North Branch, Michigan. So far, five confirmed cases are included in the outbreak and four more cases are likely part of the outbreak, according to Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Cases have been reported in Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac counties with onset dates between July 18 and 30, 2011.

Typically, the most common E. coli strain that is reported in the news media when an outbreak like this occurs, is E. coli O157:H7. However, "E.coli O157: NM differs from E. Coli O157:H7 in that it lacks the flagellar H antigen, making it non-motile (NM)," according to the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen.

The company initially recalled only 360 pounds of beef in connection with the outbreak, but has since expanded the recall to 2,200 pounds of ground beef products, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The current list of recalled products includes:

• 1 and 10-lb. clear packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk.”
• 1 to1.5-lb., approximate weight clear plastic bags of “McNees Ground beef patties.”
• 1-lb. packages of “McNees Ground Round.”
• 1 and 2-lb packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk” sold in red and white plastic bags.

"It is concerning that two-thirds of the confirmed and probable cases in this outbreak had to be hospitalized," said Dr. Dean Sienko, Interim Medical Director for MDCH. "People who shop at McNees Meats are advised not to eat ground beef they have purchased there and to throw out any McNees ground beef that may be in their refrigerators or freezers."

People who have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak may be able to file an E. coli lawsuit and recover money for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages. The E. coli attorneys at Pritzker Olsen have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of E. coli victims and victims of other food borne pathogens.

Contact the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen for a free case evaluation >>

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Update: Since this post was first written, the number of confirmed cases of E. coli O157 reported in this outbreak has risen from 3 to 5..

Five confirmed cases of E. coli O157  and 4 probable cases have been linked to ground beef processed and distributed by McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC., a North Branch, Michigan, company.  Those sickened live in the following Michigan counties: Lapeer County, Genesee County, Isabella County, and Sanilac County.

Six of the people sickened were hospitalized. E. coli can cause severe dehydration, colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and other serious medical problems. We have had clients who were hospitalized for months.

Illness onset dates range from July 18-30. Those affected range in age from 15-88.

Michigan health officials informed the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the outbreak on August 4. Epidemiological evidence quickly pointed to McNees ground beef as the source.

In response to this outbreak, McNees Meats recalled approximately 360 pounds of ground beef product products.

The products subject to recall include:

• 36 - 10 lb. Bags of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk.”

Each clear plastic bag bears establish number “EST. 33971” within the USDA mark of inspection. The products subject to recall were produced on July 15, and July 21, 2011, and sold to restaurants in Armada, Lapeer and North Branch, Mich. The products were also sold from a retail establishment owned by McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC.

Our E. coli food poisoning attorneys are available for a free consultation regarding a lawsuit against McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

BJ's Wholesale Club stores in eight northeastern and eastern states have been identified as retailers that sold Cargill ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 026.

Cargill's recall of 8,500 pounds of hamburger meat affects BJ's Wholesale Club customers in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.

Public health officials in Maine and New York have traced at least three E. coli 026 infections to the Cargill hamburger, which was produced June 11 for use or freezing by July 1. Two of the illnesses are in Maine and one is in New York. The first infection took hold on June 24.

Maine officials brought the E. coli cluster to the attention of federal authorities, including USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service in early August. The three people sickened in this outbreak fell ill with the identical strain of E. coli 026 -- one of many shiga toxin-producing E. coli types. (The most prevalent is O157:H7). 

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is among parties concerned that the outbreak could spread if consumers unknowingly pull tainted meat from their home freezers. Eating ground beef is a well-established mode of shiga toxin E. coli (STEC) transmission, including for serotype 026.

Cargill E. coli lawsuits have been filed in the past and PritzkerOlsen is conducting its own investigation into the current ground beef recall and cluster of E. coli 026 illnesses. To contact our firm call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. An E. coli lawyer will consult with you at no charge.

Symptoms of E.coli include abdominal cramping followed by diarrhea that progressively worsens and is often bloody. Healthy adults can withstand infections, sometimes without treatment. But young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at risk for severe illness.

In 5 to 15 percent of infections, patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a life-threatening condition in which the body’s blood-clotting mechanisms are altered, causing blocked circulation, kidney failure, bleeding in the brain and other health consequences. Do not make the mistake of taking E. coli 026 lightly, especially in hamburger.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

An E. coli ground beef recall by Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. relates to E. coli 026 illnesses in Maine and New York that have been convincingly associated with the recalled meat. People began getting sick June 24.

This Cargill E. coli ground beef recall is for 8,500 pounds of hamburger products that may be contaminated with E. coli 026 -- a shiga toxin-producing type of E. coli that is potentially lethal. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service believes there is an association with Cargill's recalled ground beef and a cluster of illnesses in Maine and New York.

The same genetic fingerprint has been found in E. coli 026 bacteria that has infected two people in Maine and one person in New York. This indistinguishable E. coli strain in case patients who ate suspect ground beef prompted the recall and will result in further investigation by FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health officials.

The Cargill E. coli 026 recall and outbreak also is being investigated by law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a leading food safety law firm that practices extensively in the area of E. coli litigation and other food poisoning lawsuits. If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak or have information that may be pertinent, contact us at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Over the years, PritzkerOlsen has collection millions for E. coli survivors and their families, pressing giant corporations, smaller meatpackers, restaurants, grocery retailers and food companies for accountability.

Cargill E. coli Ground Beef Recall Information for Consumers:

Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. of  Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, is recalling about 8,500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26. This includes 42-pound cases of "GROUND BEEF FINE 90/10," containing three chubs weighing  approximately 14 pound each. These products have a "use/freeze by" date of "07/01/10," and an identifying product code of "W69032."

Please note that these Cargill products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under various retail store brand names in supermarket meat cases. The initial retail distribution list includes certain BJ's Wholesale Club stores in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

The ground beef products under recall bear the establishment number "EST. 9400" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced on June 11, 2010, and were shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut and Maryland for further distribution.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen congratulates reporter Michael Moss and other members of The New York Times Staff for winning a 2010 Pulitzer Prize in journalism for relentless reporting on E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger and other food safety issues.

The Times entered the combined stories for a Pulitzer in investigative reporting, but the Pulitzer board deemed the work more fitting for top prize in the explanatory journalism category.

The crown jewel in Michael's assortment of stories was his lengthy Sunday cover story that traced the meatpacking lineage of a particular batch of ground beef.  When a hamburger from the batch reached the plate of young Minnesota dance instructor Stephanie Smith, it was contaminated with living microbes of E. coli O157:H7 that infected her to the point of paralyzing her.

One of the astonishing findings in the story was that slaughterhouses have unwritten agreements with grinding plants not to perform E. coli  tests on the beef they ship. Tests on the incoming meat -- primarily trimmings and cheap cuts -- are not required.

Instead, the government requires E. coli testing at the grinding plant on finished hamburger. But by then -- because each batch contains meat from multiple suppliers -- there is no way to identify where the pathogen originated. The trick spares slaughterhouses from costly recalls.

The final citation from the Pulitzer Board said the combination of stories is a "distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation.''

Click here to see the complete collection of award-winning food safety stories.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that a total of 28 people in 12 states have been sickened by the same strains of E. coli O157:H7 in a ground beef outbreak associated with hamburger meat from Fairbank Farms in Ashville, N.Y.

A cluster of the E. coli O157:H7 illnesses are in the East as previously reported, but Minnesota, South Dakota and California each have confirmed cases -- suggesting a much wider outbreak.

One person in New York and another in New Hampshire have died as a result of the outbreak, according to news reports by USA Today and the Associated Press. The USDA responded to the problem by announcing the recall of a half-million pounds of ground beef made in mid-September by Fairbank Farms.

Grocery chains in eight eastern states initially received the product, including Trader Joes, Shaw's, BJ's Wholesale, ACME, and Giant. By now, any of the recalled meat that was not consumed is in consumers' freezers, where the E. coli organisms do not perish. Consumers should look for packages marked with USDA establishment number EST 492 inside the mark of inspection. Most sell-by dates on the recalled ground beef are September 19-28.

The CDC said investigators found E. coli O157:H7 in an open container of ground beef that was in a patient's home. In advanced, secondary DNA testing so far, E. coli  in the hamburger matched seven of the human isolates. Previously, all 28 human isolates matched each other in DNA fingerprint analysis.

 The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows:  California (1), Connecticut (4), Massachusetts (8), Maryland (1), Maine (2), Minnesota (1), New Hampshire (4), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Dakota (2), and Vermont (1).

USA Today reported that 16 of the patients have been hospitalized, including two with hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is accepting cases from this outbreak. We represent victims in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness in the United States. As one of the few law firms practicing extensively in the area of food poisoning, we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims and survivors of E. coli and other pathogens transmitted in contaminated food.

These outbreaks are preventable and the principals of Pritzker Olsen work to diminish the problem by calling for tougher food safety laws and vastly more inspections of our meatpacking facilities and other food plants. Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen each spent time this year giving seminars at national food industry conventions on the importance of investing in prevention of E. coli O157:H7, in particular. 

Anyone with E. coli symptoms who has eaten ground beef should immediately contact a physician. If you have legal questions about this outbreak, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact and information form. We will provide a free case consultation and if we agree to accept your case, you owe us nothing until you win.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link