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

Franklin County, Pennsylvania, accounts for half of the 36 Pennsylvania Campylobacter illnesses that are so far linked  to an outbreak associated with raw milk from a dairy farm in the county seat of Chambersburg. Franklin County is the No. 2 dairy producing county in Pennsylvania and it includes the towns of Mercersburg, Green Castle, Waynesboro and Shippensburg.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said late Monday in its latest update on the outbreak  that Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia also have detected illnesses from the outbreak strain of Campylobacter, a pathogen that can lead to respiratory failure and acute muscular paralysis. In all, there were 43 confirmed cases when the state issued its report. Investigators believe more cases will be reported in the coming days.

A public health laboratory in Maryland confirmed last week that two unopened containers of raw milk from The Family Cow dairy in Franklin County contained the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni. And many of the outbreak patients told investigators they had consumed raw milk from The Family Cow before getting ill.

The outbreak and its cause are under investigation by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., Fred Pritzker, the firm's president and founder, currently represents a Pennsylvania family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit. He can be contacted via the Web or by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our legal group has won millions for victims of food poisoning while also actively working in various campaigns to defeat foodborne illness.

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Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia have all been affected by an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni associated with raw milk from The Family Cow dairy farm in Chambersburg, Pa. The official count of 38 laboratory confirmed illnesses at week's end was expected to grow.

Because raw milk is not pasteurized, disease-causing organisms like Campylobacter, which grow in the intestines of cows and other animals, can translocate, survive the bottling process and multiply once inside a plastic jug or any other container. Children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are most at risk for serious illness. Campylobacter infections, in particular, can lead to a life-threatening complication known as GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome.

In The Family Cow Campylobacter outbreak that began in mid-January, half of the victims have been under the age of 18. The ages of all case patients range from 2 to 74 and some individuals have been hospitalized. GBS can cause acute muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. By far, the largest number of illnesses (31) are in Pennsylvania, where Family Cow raw milk is sold at health food stores and drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and the south-central region.

National food poisoning law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is conducting its own investigation and has noted a special finding by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.The DHMH Laboratories Administration has confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in two unopened raw milk samples purchased from this farm. This scientific link between the outbreak and Family Cow raw milk will be an important element in any outbreak-related Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, is scheduled to debate the question of raw milk safety at Harvard University Law School Feb. 16. His firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and he has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also actively working on causes to stop bacterial contamination of our food supply.

Families and individuals harmed in the current raw milk outbreak in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia can contact a food illness lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations are free and clients are not required to pay unless and until a claim is secured for them.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys currently represent the family of a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pennsylvania, who was paralyzed as a result of drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter. Allegheny County is the location of that Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit. 

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Sixteen people in Pennsylvania and four in Maryland have suffered campylobacteriosis in the past several weeks and all of them have consumed raw milk from the Chambersburg, Pa., farm known as The Family Cow.

That's what state health officials have told reporter David Wenner of The Patriot-News, painting a picture of a raw milk outbreak that has sent some of its victims to the hospital. The epidemiological evidence of causality was strong enough after the first illnesses were confirmed late last week for Maryland and Pennsylvania public health officials to alert consumers not to drink any Family Cow raw milk purchased since January 1. That consumer advisory is still in effect as investigators await smoking gun molecular evidence that the outbreak strain of Campylobacter is in the milk.

While those test results have been in process, owners of the farm have been quoted in various media reports, casting doubt that the outbreak was caused by The Family Cow, a farm operation that also sells organic meat and other products.

Food safety lawyers from PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have begun their own investigation of this outbreak and are accepting cases from individuals and families who have been sickened. Free consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or simply leave your contact information and an attorney will call you. Our firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and currently represents a Pennsylvania family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit .

Over the years, PritzkerOlsen has collected millions for victims of food poisoning while also working actively in various campaigns to prevent life-threatening contamination of our food supply. President and founder Fred Pritzker is currently a board member at STOP Foodborne Illness Board of Directors. STOP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne pathogents. 

Raw milk has become popular with some people who believe it has superior nutrition because it's not heated to kill germs like pasteurized milk. Studies, however, have not confirmed this, and federal and state authorities continue to warn about microscopic fecal contamination in milk products that are not pasteurized.  One of the repeated complications that arise from Campylobacter infection is GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome. GBS patients can suffer respiratory failure and acute muscular paralysis that impairs motor function and cause life-long harm, pain and suffering.

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Up to a dozen people in Pennsylvania and Maryland who drank raw milk from the Family Cow dairy near Chambersburg, Pa., are now confirmed case patients in an outbreak of Campylobacteriosis, a disease that can not only cause fever and diarrhea but can lead to respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis.

Local media reports quote the Pennsylvania Health Department as saying the outbreak has grown from six known cases to 12 since the outbreak was detected last week. Three of the initial cases were in Pennsylvania and three were in Maryland. 

The two states issued a public health advisory last week that remains in effect: Consumers should not drink any Family Cow raw milk purchased since January 1. The dairy voluntarily suspended production last week when the illnesses came to light. The implicated milk is sold in plastic containers of various sizes labeled with the Family Cow brand and "raw milk.'' It is sold at more than 20 health food stores in Pennsylvania and at more than 25 drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represents a family from Mars, Pennsylvania, in a Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. The firm is investigating the Family Cow outbreak and accepting cases from individuals and families who have been harmed. Authorities in Pennsylvania and Maryland have not said if any of the current victims were hospitalized. Campylobacter infection can lead to a life-threatening disease known as GBS, or Guillain Barre Syndrome.  A good food poisoning lawyer will pursue a claim that covers not only initial medical bills, lost wages and other immediate costs, but also all future harms, including money for anticipated medical treatment, pain and suffering, loss of earning power, loss of companionship and other long-term effects.

In the initial phase of Campylobacter infection, symptoms usually occurs in two to five days after ingesting the bacteria. Patients often do not require specific medical treatment unless they become severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. But in those cases, a person's breathing can shut down and they can lose motor function and become paralyzed.

Click here to contact an attorney from PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Consultations are at no cost to callers and our firm requires no payment from you until your claim is won, 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 millions of dollars for survivors of contaminated food.

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Family Cow raw milk associated with a Campylobacter outbreak in Pennsylvania and Maryland was sold, among other places, at the Healthy Grocer in Camp Hill, Pa., and at various drop points and health food stores across the state.

The Family Cow website lists 29 total drop points for the milk around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania. At least 25 health food stores are listed as retailers of the farm's products.

Customers reported having high fever, diarrhea and the chills and health officials have confirmed that three people in Pennsylvania and three people in Maryland became infected by Camplyobacter bacteria, a dangerous pathogen emitted from cows and other animals in their feces. Campylobacter is one of several enteric bacteria associated with raw milk food illness outbreaks.

The Family Cow dairy of the Chambersburg area issued a news release advising customers with raw milk marked with a "best by'' date in January to discard it. The dairy advises customers who have milk with a “best by” date in February to hold the milk until testing reports come in. More results are expected Monday. Sales have been halted until at least Tuesday.

 A broader warning has been issued by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health: Consumers should discard any product purchased from this farm since January 1, 2012.

 The implicated milk is labeled “raw milk” (meaning, not pasteurized) and is sold under “The Family Cow” label in plastic gallon, half gallon, quart and pint containers. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and accepting cases from families and individuals who have fallen ill. The firm currently represents a Mars, Pennsylvania, family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. In that case, a healthy 67-year-old man who drank contaminated raw milk suffered respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis from a complication of Campylobacter infection known as Guillain Barre syndrome, or GBS. 

Source: The Patriot-News

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A Pennsylvania and Maryland Campylobacter outbreak has been linked to raw milk from the Family Cow Dairy Store in Chambersburg, Pa. At least six people are ill, three from each state, and health officials in Pennsylvania and Maryland have issued a warning about raw milk purchased from the Family Cow since January 1, 2012.

It's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Maryland, but some consumers told authorities they have purchased the milk at pre-determined drop-off points.

Campylobacter jejuni is one of several harmful bacteria associated with unpasteurized milk. An infection from this pathogen can lead to several forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Some of the more commonly encountered effects of GBS are limb and respiratory weakness, loss of reflexes and paralysis. Miller Fisher syndrome is a subtype of GBS.

A Pennsylvania Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit was filed in 2010 by local counsel in Allegheny County. The case is headed by national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker and attorneys from his firm, PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The victims of raw milk contamination in that case are a husband and wife and the defendants include the raw milk producer and the retail store that sold the product. The case revolves around very serious injuries to the husband, who suffered acute neuromuscular paralysis from the neck down.

Mr. Pritzker and his staff are investigating the Family Cow Dairy Store outbreak and accepting cases from those who were sickened. Call for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and a lawyer will call you to discuss your claim and answer any questions. PritzkerOlsen is one of the very few legal groups in the U.S. practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and has collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

• Bucks
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• Dauphin
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• Franklin
• Lebanon
• Montgomery
• Philadelphia
• York

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An outbreak of Yersinia in Pennsylvania has been associated with bottled milk and ice cream from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa, Beaver County. Brunton Dairy  makes home delivery to households in Western Pennsylvania and sells milk and ice cream at retail establishments. This is an outbreak of foodborne illness where vicitms should be compensated for medical bills, lost time at work and pain and suffering, 

A press release from the Pennsylvania departments of Health and Agriculture and the Allegheny County Health Department advises the public of the possible risk of Yersiniosis from glass-bottled milk and ice cream from Brunton Dairy. Since mid-June, 16 individuals developed diarrhea and other symptoms caused by bacteria called Yersinia enterocolitica. Officials had been suspecting bottled milk and ice cream from Brunton and a test of ice cream from one of the victims resulted in a positive find for Yersinia.

Beaver and Allegheny counties are home to the confirmed cases in this outbreak. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has launched its own investigation into the outbreak. Victims have suffered harms that are deserving of compensation from the party responsible for the contamination. If you suspect someone has been sickened by bottled milk or ice cream, you should contact our law firm for information about a possible lawsuit against Brunton Dairy. An attorney can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit contact information online for an attorney to call you. Case consultations are free.

Yersiniosis is an intestinal illness caused by a group of bacteria known as Yersinia. In the US and in the current Pennsylvania outbreak, most illness is caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, which is found mainly in pigs, but also in cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, cats, rodents and rabbits. People can get infected by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated milk or water. 

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Five people from Pennsylvania contracted Salmonella Heidelberg infections in an outbreak that has been linked to Cargill ground turkey. The victims include 4 from Allegheny County and one from Philadelphia.

Our Salmonella attorneys are investigating this outbreak, which includes 78 people in 26 states. “The victims of this outbreak have suffered physical and financial pain, and they deserve compensation,” said food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker. “What makes this outbreak worse than many Salmonella outbreaks is that the Salmonella Heidelberg strain is resistant to several antibiotics.”

The victims in Pennsylvania range from 2 to 43 years old and were infected between early April and mid-June.

Cargill Value Added Meats Retail, a business of Wichita-based Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., announced Wednesday that the company would voluntarily recall  about 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey products produced at the company’s Springdale, Arkansas, processing plant between Feb. 20 and Aug. 2.

The Cargill turkey recall includes products sold at the following Pennsylvania retailers:

• Aldi
• Giant Eagle
• Kroger

Ground turkey products that are subject to this recall were sold under the following brands:

• Honeysuckle
• Kroger
• Riverside
• Safeway
• Fit and Active
• Shady Brook Farms
• Spartan

Salmonella Pain and Suffering

Our experience is that even with “mild” cases, Salmonella victims suffer severe abdominal pain, are unable to work for days or weeks and continue to have digestive and bowel issues for weeks, months or permanently. In some cases, the severity of the Salmonella gastroenteritis causes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and/or Rieter’s syndrome, a form of arthritis that causes inflammation of joints that may be accompanied by conjunctivitis (an inflammation of the membranes under the eyelids that can lead to blindness), urethritis (urinary tract infection), and a rash.

Pain and suffering compensation in a Cargill lawsuit or class action should include amounts for expected future pain and suffering. Contact our law firm for a free consultation if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Salmonella Heidelberg.

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 A Pennsylvania raw milk farmer may be shut down for good if the U.S. Justice Department succeeds in gaining a permanent injunction against him for allegedly violating food safety laws, repeatedly.

The complaint was filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for misbranding and distribution of of unpasteurized milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. The alleged violator is Daniel L. Allgyer, owner of the Rainbow Acres Farm in Kinzers, Pennsylvania.

Raw milk can contain a wide variety of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and Brucella. 

 “Drinking raw milk is dangerous and shouldn’t be consumed under any circumstances,”  Dara A. Corrigan, FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said in a news release. “FDA has warned the defendant on multiple occasions that introducing raw milk into interstate commerce is in violation of Federal law.”

FDA investigators determined during an inspection of Rainbow Acres Farm that the farm was producing, packaging, selling, and distributing unpasteurized and unlabeled milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. FDA issued a warning to Allyger April 20, 2010, but the farm "continued to operate in violation of federal law,'' the press release said.  

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Seltzer's bologna E. coli outbreak has sickened at least four people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and North Carolina. The type of E. coli is O157:H7, the dominant variety that is associated with life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

The case patients in this outbreak fell ill between January 28 and February 12 and  public health officials are still investigating. To date, the bacteria has not been found in samples of the bologna, but epidemiologists have linked it to the outbreak based on eating patterns of those who were afflicted. Meanwhile, consumers are being warned not to eat Seltzer's beef Lebanon bologna that was produced in December 2010.

If you or a loved one has suffered gastrointestinal illness after eating the product, see a doctor.  For answers to legal questions about a possible Seltzer's bologna lawsuit, call PritzkerOlsen, P.A., at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form. A lawyer will call you and provide a free case consultation.

To date, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has not released a list of retailers who handled Seltzer's bologna that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. But consumers can check their own inventory for the following recalled items:

 6-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by date of "Apr. 20 2011" printed on the package. 

12-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by dates of "Apr. 20 2011" or "Apr. 21 2011" printed on the package.

16-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by date of "Apr. 22 2011" printed on the package. 

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A beef Lebanon bologna E. coli outbreak in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania has sickened at least four people -- a group of illnesses that state and federal health officials have associated with Lebanon bologna products made by Pennsylvania-based Palmyra Bologna Company, Inc.

A Seltzer's beef Lebanon bologna recall was announced today and the investigation into the outbreak is continuing. The four case patients had matching E. coli O157:H7 illnesses with onset dates between January 28 and February 12, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced in a news release. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should contact a health care provider. For legal questions or to receive a free case consultation, call food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form. Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of E. coli O157:H7 and other types of food poisoning.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Children under age 5, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to infections. Even mild E. coli O157:H7 infections can cause long-term health consequences throughout a person's life -- a reality that demands thorough claims recovery..

Seltzer's Beef Lebanon Bologna E. coli O157:H7 Recall

The recalled beef product is similar in appearance to salami. It is a fermented, semi-dry sausage. Palmyra Bologna Company is recalling approximately 23,000 pounds of its Seltzer's beef Lebanon bologna products, each package bearing a label with establishment number "EST. 474" inside the USDA mark of inspection, The products subject to recall were produced in December 2010 and were sent to distribution centers in California., Colorado., Maryland., New York and Pennsylvania for further distribution to retail stores.  The FSIS will publish a corresponding list of stores.  

For consumers, here is the list of Lebanon bologna products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7: 

• 6-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by date of "Apr. 20 2011" printed on the package.
• 12-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by dates of "Apr. 20 2011" or "Apr. 21 2011" printed on the package.
• 16-ounce packages of "SELTZER'S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA" with lot code "01351" and best-by date of "Apr. 22 2011" printed on the package.

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Pritzker Olsen law firm has filed a lawsuit through its local counsel in Pittsburgh on behalf of James and Maureen Orchard, a couple sickened last month by Campylobacter  from raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery LLC of New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The Pasture Maid Creamery lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County. It alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania, where they live. The retailer is named in the suit along with the creamery and its owner, Adam Dean.

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own in a Pittsburgh area hospital. Mr. Orchard requires around the clock intensive care.

Fred Pritzker, the Orchards’ attorney said, says the case tragically illustrates how unsafe raw milk is.

“Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use,'' Pritzker said. "It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.''

According to the complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Campylobacter bacteria in raw milk samples from Pasture Maid.  On March 25, 2010, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers to discard Pasture Maid brand raw milk and recommended that Pasture Maid Creamery stop selling the product.

On April 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended Pasture Maid’s permit to sell raw milk for human consumption. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- a flash heating process that destroys pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7 with high temperature.

Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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