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

Yesterday, the CDC reported that an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has sickened 60 people in 10 states, including Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).  This was a large and virulent outbreak--30 people were hospitalized and 2 of them developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), one of the leading causes of kidney failure in the United States.

The outbreak started in early October of this year with reports of E. coli illnesses associated with eating food from salad bars at various Schnucks locations in the St. Louis, MO area. Although it is no secret that Schnucks grocery stores were linked to the outbreak, the CDC referred to Schnucks as "grocery store Chain A" in its outbreak report. Last night Schnucks said the chain is "grocery store Chain A" so why didn't the CDC just use the chain's name? Why the air of mystery?

Even more disturbing is that the CDC did not name the grower or the distributor because that information was not in the news:

The FDA and several state agencies conducted traceback investigations for romaine lettuce to try to identify the source of contamination. Traceback investigations focused on ill persons who had eaten at salad bars at several locations of grocery store Chain A and ill persons at university campuses in Minnesota (1 ill person) and Missouri (2 ill persons). Traceback analysis determined that a single common lot of romaine lettuce harvested from Farm A was used to supply the grocery store Chain A locations as well as the university campus in Minnesota during the time of the illnesses. This lot was also provided to a distributor that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to determine if this lot was sent to this university campus. Preliminary findings of investigation at Farm A did not identify the source of the contamination. (CDC Nov. 7 Report)

Consumers should be told the names of Farm A and the distributor. Providing this type of information serves as a deterrent to companies by making it a bad public relations move to be sloppy about food safety.

CDC, update your report and name Schnucks, the grower and the distributor.

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The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has identified Aunt Mid’s Produce Company as the distributor of iceberg lettuce consumed by six Illinois residents during late August to mid-September who have been diagnosed with E coli 0157.

The Michigan Department of Community Health has also identified Aunt Mid’s Produce Company as one of the wholesale processors who sold institutional-sized iceberg lettuce to establishments which served 26 people who were diagnosed with the same strain of E coli.

IDPH is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory to test persons suspected of being linked to this Illinois E. coli outbreak and to trace-back where the lettuce came from. Aunt Mid’s Produce Company has voluntarily suspended any processing and sale of its iceberg lettuce product line throughout the United States.

For information on the legal rights of E. coli victims, distributor liability and an Aunt Mid's lawsuit, please contact our law firm at 1-888-377-8900 or email attorney Fred Pritzker.

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