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

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) annual cheerleading and dance/drill competition in Everett, Washington, drew some 3,000 observers and 1,000 participants to Comcast Arena on February 4. The next day and day after, some people who attended began to experience symptoms of food illness.

Now the Washington State Department of Health and the Snohomish Health District are investigating what organsim made people sick, where it came from and how many fell ill. The early-stage food poisoning investigation was announced yesterday in a press release that said a food history questionnaire will be sent to participants.

The WIAA said Comcast Arena officials are cooperating with the investigation. People who got sick experienced nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever and diarrhea. People who attended the event from around the state are advised to contact a health care provider if they have symptoms.

“Our immediate concerns are for those who have been affected by this illness and our thoughts are with them,” said WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese.

Food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is monitoring this investigation and providing free case consultations to families and individuals for possible representation. State officials have not said if anyone was hospitalized. To discuss your concerns with an experienced food illness lawyer at our firm, leave your contact information or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free)

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Ever since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an after-the-fact report about a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 68 people in 10 states and withheld the name of the Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain responsible, the food safety community has been buzzing.

Neither the CDC, nor any health official from any of the 10 states with victims has named the comany, referred to in the CDC’s first and only report on the outbreak, issued January 19, 2012, as Mexican Restaurant Chain A.

The CDC has a case-by-case policy in these matters and generally tries to protect companies from bad publicity by naming them only when the public can use that information to protect their health. Ih this case, neither the CDC nor any of the 10 state health departments involved said anything about the outbreak until it was over. So, in this case, the CDC’s inaction proves its own point. No, the teenager craving a taco in January can’t protect himself from becoming part of an foodborne illness outbreak that happened three months ago, but the teenager in October could have. Unfortunately, none of our public health officials gave him that opportunity.

And what about Restaurant Chain A?  Surely Mexican Restaurant Chains B-G must be wondering why Restaurant A has lacked the courage to step up and say, yes, it’s us. Given the rumors of a possible leak later this week by one of the state departments of health, it may be time for Restaurant Chain A to let the public know that their restaurants were linked the Salmonella outbreak and to provide information on any efforts the company is making to prevent future outbreaks.

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Solving the Salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican-style, fast food "Restaurant Chain A" in Texas, Oklahoma and eight other states took a classic, collaborative approach by a combination of federal, state and local public health agencies. Authorities have refused to identify the name of this fast-food chain to citizens.

This outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis sickened at least 68 people and now appears to be over, but any Restaurant A Salmonella lawsuit will depend on the epidemiology that convinced the FDA and CDC to conclude that some item of produce from a common source was the likely cause. National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is accepting cases from this outbreak and has represented victims of past restaurant outbreaks, collecting millions of dollars to compensate them for the harms they suffered.  Free consultations for this Mexican-style fast food outbreak are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or individuals can leave contact information here and a Salmonella lawyer from the firm will call you.

Mexican fast food Salmonella investigation

Among 52 ill persons for whom information was available, 60 percent reported eating at Restaurant Chain A in the week before illness onset. Ill persons reported eating at 18 different locations of the chain in the week before becoming ill. Three locations were identified where more than one ill person reported eating in the week before becoming ill. This finding indicates that contamination likely occurred before the contaminated food product reached chain locations.

Further epidemiologic study based on interviews with 48 ill people and 103 who were not sick indicated that 62 percent were more likely to report eating at Restaurant Chain A in the week before illness. Only 17 percent of well respondents said they ate at the chain in the previous week. No specific food item or ingredient was found to be associated with illness due to common ingredients being used together in many menu items such as tacos, burritos, and taco salads, but 90 percent of ill respondents reported eating lettuce, 77 percent reported eating cheese and 35 percent reported eating tomatoes. Ninety four precent reported eating ground beef, but investigators discounted ground beef as a possible source of illness because of the restaurant chain's protocols for safe cooking.

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A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 68 people in 10 states is the latest in a recent string of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Mexican-style food.

On January 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first and final report on a multi-state Mexican fast food outbreak but did not name the restaurant chain.

Those with confirmed cases of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis in each state is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1). Investigators were unable to identify the specific food source of the outbreak, but say that the contamination likely occurred before the product reached the restaurant locations.

According to the CDC, restaurants are the most commonly identified setting for foodborne outbreaks. Recent outbreaks associated with Mexican-style restaurants include:

• A December 2011 Salmonella outbreak linked to Don Julio Mexican Restaurant in Corinth, MIss. that that sickened 59 patrons and staff.
• A September 2011 Salmonella outbreak linked to a Mexican restaurant in Grandville, Mich. that sickened at least one patron.
• Two August 2010 Salmonella outbreaks linked to a Mexican-style fast food chain that sickened at least 155 people in 18 states.

Salmonella is a bacteria that, if ingested, can cause an infection called salmonellosis. About 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported annually n the United States, but because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be thirty times that number, according to the CDC.

Salmonellosis symptoms usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps lasting four to seven days. In some cases, hospitalization is required. Those most at risk are young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised.

If you have legal questions about an illness you believe is associated with this outbreak, contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
 

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 A multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain has sickened 68 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Almost one third of those sickened with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis required hospitalization. The number of confirmed cases in each state is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1).

Among those for whom information was available, 60 percent reported eating at the fast food chain in the week before the onset of illness. Illnesses began on or after October 13, 2011. Patients ranged in age from <1 to 79 years, the median age was 25. Fifty-four percent of patients were female. No deaths were reported.

A collaborative investigation by federal, state and local investigators was unable to identify a specific food associated with illness, but data indicate that contamination likely occurred before the product reached the restaurant locations.

Among the ill who reported eating at the restaurants, 90 percent reported eating lettuce, 94 percent reported eating ground beef, 77 percent reported eating cheese, and 35 percent reported eating tomatoes. This outbreak’s epidemic curve is consistent with produce-related outbreaks, according to the CDC. The restaurant’s meat handling and cooking practices make it unlikely that ground beef was the source.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious illness if ingested. Symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. In some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized or the infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Young children, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems are most at risk.

If you have legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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Maine, New Hampshire and New York are the leading states in the Hannaford ground beef Salmonella outbreak when it comes to the number of people who have been infected and confirmed as case patients. In its first detailed report on the outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said each of the three Northeast states is home to four confirmed cases, or three-fourths of the total number of 16 illnesses.

The CDC said four other states each have one case: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Vermont. More than half of those stricken from the contaminated ground beef have been hospitalized, starting in October.

"CDC and state and local public health partners are continuing laboratory surveillance through PulseNet to identify additional ill persons and to interview ill persons about foods eaten before becoming ill,'' the CDC said in its report.

It was patient interviews that first led the USDA and other investigators to associate the outbreak with fresh ground beef sold by the Hannaford supermarket chain. Due to insufficient grinding logs kept by Hannaford, however, the investigation has failed to  identify the meatpacker that is responsible for supplying containinated raw cuts and trim that the retailer mixed into hamburger.

The Hannaford ground beef recall involves packages that have sell-by dates of December 17 or earlier. Click here for details on the Salmonella ground beef recall.

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Cargill ground turkey production has resumed in Sprindale, Arkansas, for the first time since a multi-state Salmonella outbreak prompted the shut down of the operation for food safety purposes. The Minnesota-based company made the announcement in a press release this week.

"One of four ground turkey production lines has been reactivated at Springdale and the other three will be reactivated over the coming weeks as part of a multiphase ramp-up of production,'' the company said.

The 2011 Cargill turkey Salmonella outbreak involved a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg that sickened at least 136 persons in 34 states. Illinois and Michigan had the most cases and the CDC outbreak investigation spanned from late February through mid-September. National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen Attorneys is continuing to accept cases for litigation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by leaving us your contact information. Our firm is one of the very few legal groups in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we represent victims in practically every major outbreak.

Cargill said it took the following actions to make the Arkansas plant safe:

• Complete reassessment and overhaul of the facility’s food safety plan.
• Implementation of several new food safety measures, including more and better bacterial reduction steps throughout the process.
• Creation of a three-phase ground turkey sampling and monitoring program which is the most rigorous in the industry.
• Use of high pressure processing to reduce Salmonella.
• Development of an enhanced process control monitoring system to ensure all aspects of the company’s Salmonella control program are continuously generating the best possible results.

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Hannaford Supermarket customers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York are urged to check for Salmonella-tainted ground beef that may be in their home refrigerators or freezers. This recall of Hannaford ground beef relates to an outbreak of Salmonellosis that has hospitalized seven people and injured seven more.

Outbreak confirmation came from the CDC and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, leading to the recall this week of an undetermined amount of ground beef that was sold fresh from Hannaford meat cases. If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys for a free Salmonella lawsuit consultation.  Call 1-888-377-8900. You pay nothing until your case is won.

FSIS said 10 of the 14 case-patients reported purchasing ground beef at Hannaford stores in Maine, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont between October 12 and November 20. The various ground beef packages bear sell-by dates of Dec. 17, 2011 or earlier. Click here for more details of the Hannaford ground beef recall. The investigation by public health officials is ongoing and it's possible more illnesses could result. So far, no Salmonella deaths have been reported.

Salmonella lawyers for Pritzker Olsen are accepting cases from this outbreak. They represent food poisoning victims in practically every major outbreak of Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter and the firm continues to be one of the very few practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, including Salmonella litigation.

The current outbreak tied to Hannaford ground beef in the Northeast involves an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria known as Salmonella Typhimurium, a complicating factor that could lead to longer illnesses and hospital stays in some cases.

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The food safety division of 3M has developed a new rapid detection system for Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes and other foodborne pathogens.

The 3M Molecular Detection System, for use in food and beverage pathogen testing labs, combines Isothermal DNA Amplification and Bioluminescence Detection technologies to provide a faster, easier to use, and less expensive test for pathogens, according to 3M spokeswoman Mary Kokkinen..  

“In comparison to other rapid detection methods, our system improves efficiencies in the lab process by offering customers only one preparation protocol across all assays and all matrices allowing for batch processing, easier training and less chance for human error,” Kokkinen said.

The combined technology also contributes to the affordability of the system, she said. “Isothermal DNA amplification proceeds at a constant temperature, removing the need for complicated instrumentation (thermocycler).  Bioluminescence detection eliminates the need for high-cost excitation sources, fluorophores, fluorescent filters and detectors.”

The portable system, requires about as much counter space a laptop computer, has been tested on a variety of food segments, including meat, poultry, produce, dairy, seafood and processed foods. It comes with ready-to-use and pre-dispensed reagents that require no measuring, mixing or aliquoting by the customers.

“We believe this is a growing and important category for Food Safety," Kokkinen said. “Pathogens are a real threat to public health and to our customer’s businesses.”
 

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A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in Corinth, Miss. has been linked to Don Julio  Mexican Restaurant and is no longer and ongoing public health threat, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) said yesterday.

 "Our investigation has shown that the incident does not appear to be a food producer or supplier issue," Northeast Mississippi District Health Officer Dr. Jessie R. Taylor, said in a statement. "It appears to be an isolated problem with this particular restaurant, and the restaurant is working closely with us to correct the problem."

The restaurant, which has been closed since December 8, will remain closed until an improvement plan is approved by the MSDH.

 As of December 13, a total of 59 patrons and employees of Don Julio Mexican Restaurant in Corinth, had positive cultures confirming the presence of Salmonella. MSDH has notified area healthcare providers.

Salmonella is a bacteria that, if ingested, causes salmonellosis an infection that can be serious and sometimes fatal. Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rate of diagnosed infections in children less than five years old is higher than the rate for all other age groups.

Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment,according to the CDC. In some cases, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient requires hospitalization. In these cases, the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Anyone with legal questions about an illness related to this outbreak can contact the foodborne illness lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
 

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Health officials are investigating twenty-two cases of Salmonella poisoning in Corinth, Mississippi. Investigators are looking at restaurants where those sickened reported eating. According to the Sun Herald, Don Julio's was closed on Thursday: 

Health officials had found no evidence of any food contamination at the restaurant, and it was not ordered to close, a sign on the door said.

However, concern about contamination of vegetables from a supplier and the safety of customers prompted the move. 

Salmonella is generally transmitted by food contaminated with the bacterium. Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning generally include severe diarrhea and abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache and muscle pain. In some cases there is blood in the stool. 

Salmonella can be fatal if the infection enters the bloodstream.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/12/09/3624275/corinth-eateries-safe-despite.html#ixzz1gBL8kH8r

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The Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth, Miss. has received 11 positive Salmonella cultures since Nov. 28, according to the Associated Press.

Hospital CEO Nick Napper says some cases have been admitted to the hospital and are in stable condition, that the state health department has been notified and that a source has not yet been identified, according to a story in the Daily Corinthian.

State health officials have interviewed the patients, and taken food samples from local restaurant, according to the Sun Herald. No restaurants have been closed by the state.

Salmonella is bacteria that can cause salmonellosis, an infection resulting in fever, cramps and diarrhea that lasts for several days and can require hospitalization. For some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the salmonellosis may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites. Salmonellosis can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

If you have legal questions about an illness or a hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.

Salmonellosis Complications

Salmonella infections can be life-threatening especially for infants and young children, pregnant women and their unborn babies, and older adults, who are at a higher risk for foodborne illness, as are people with weakened immune systems. We have handled cases for Salmonella victims who developed Reiter's syndrome, a reactive arthritis.

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The CDC has released updated information on the Salmonella outbreak linked to ground turkey processed by Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation in Springdale, Arkansas. A total of 136 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg were reported from 34 states with illness onset dates between February 27 and September 13, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (4), Connecticut (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (16), Indiana (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (1), Michigan (12), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (7), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New York (3), North Carolina (4), Ohio (12), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (8), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (18), Utah (1), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (4).

Among persons for whom information was available, illnesses began on or after February 27, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from less than 1 year to 90 years old, with a median age of 23 years old. Fifty-five percent were male. Among the 94 ill persons with available information, 37 (39%) were hospitalized. One death was reported.

Evidence Implicating Cargill Ground Turkey

Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that ground turkey was the likely source of this outbreak.

Among the 94 ill persons with available information, 51 (54%) reported consuming ground turkey. This proportion was significantly higher than results from a survey of healthy persons in which 11% of persons interviewed reported consuming ground turkey in the 7 days before they were interviewed. Product information (such as date and location of purchase of ground turkey) was collected from ill persons and was used by local, state, and federal public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies to further the investigation.

Cultures of five ground turkey samples purchased from five retail locations between March 7 and June 27, 2011, yielded Salmonella Heidelberg with the outbreak strain. PFGE patterns from these Salmonella bacteria were added to the PulseNet database between April 11 and July 12, approximately a month after each sample was collected. Preliminary information indicated that all of these products originated from a common food-production establishment (Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation in Springdale, Arkansas). These products were obtained as part of routine sampling in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)  and were not linked to illnesses. In addition, a sample of leftover, unlabeled frozen ground turkey was collected by public health officials from the home of an ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg in Ohio. Culture of the ground turkey sample yielded the outbreak strain on July 29, 2011.

In addition to the outbreak strain, with the “initial” PGFE pattern, a Salmonella Heidelberg with a second closely related PFGE pattern was identified in the contaminated leftover product. Since February 27, 2011, a total of 27 ill persons have been reported to PulseNet with this closely related PGFE pattern. Among the 13 such patients who have been interviewed, 12 (92%) reported consumption of ground turkey in the week before their illness began. The closely related PGFE pattern was also found in a retail sample of ground turkey taken as part of NARMS surveillance. This retail sample originated from Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation establishment in Springdale, Arkansas. Based on these findings, the 27 ill persons with this second closely related PFGE pattern of Salmonella Heidelberg were included in the total count of outbreak cases.

Drug Resistant Strain of Salmonella Heidelberg

This was a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. As of September 12, 2011, investigators collected antibiotic resistance information on isolates from 12 samples of ground turkey collected at retail and from 23 ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The isolates from the ground turkey samples were resistant to antibiotics including ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The sensitivity testing results indicated that isolates from humans were also resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, and some were resistant to streptomycin and gentamicin. All human isolates were sensitive to several common antibiotics used in clinical practice such as ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Antimicrobial resistance may increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

Cargill Ground Turkey Recall

On August 3, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Arkansas, establishment, recalled approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may have been contaminated with a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The products subject to recall were all comprised of ground turkey meat and had the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

On September 11, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation recalled another 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products after product samples at the plant tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg based on sample results from an intensive in-plant investigation performed by FSIS. On September 27, 2011 FSIS reported that one positive sample was confirmed to have the outbreak strain and the isolate was multidrug resistant.

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A Salmonella outbreak linked to kosher broiled chicken livers from Schreiber Processing Corporation has sickened at least 64 people in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

The majority of the cases have occurred in Ocean County. About 11 percent of the patients have required hospitalization, 48 percent are female, Donna Leusner, the department's spokeswoman, told CIDRAP News.

Chicken livers and chicken liver products, sold under the MealMart brand, are labeled “broiled” and appear cooked but are not. DHSS, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have identified these cases of illness associated with the Salmonella Heidelberg bacteria strain, a common bacteria associated with food poisoning in humans.

The cases of Salmonella Heidelberg, identified during the period of February through November, all had a common DNA fingerprint.  Public health investigations recognized a pattern of people reporting that they ate kosher broiled chicken livers or chopped liver before their illness began. The same Salmonella strain has been found in samples of broiled chicken livers and in samples of chopped liver made from the kosher broiled chicken livers.

In stores, broiled chicken livers are often re-packaged and sold in smaller quantities. Retail stores and other establishments in the following communities either re-packaged this product or used it to prepare chopped liver that was sold to customers:

• New Jersey:     Moonachie, Englewood, Lakewood, Freehold, Teaneck, Elizabeth, Howell,Highland Park, Passaic, Paterson
• New York:       Bronx, Brooklyn, Cedarhurst, Far Rockaway, Ferndale, Flushing, Kew Gardens Lawrence, Loch Sheldrake, Monsey, New York (Manhattan), Ocean Side, Parksville, Roslyn Heights, Schenectady, South Fallsberg, Suffern, Wesley Hills, Woodridge.
• Maryland:         Baltimore
• Pennsylvania:    Mckeesrocks, Philadelphia
• Minnesota:        New Hope

Consuming food contaminated with Salmonella can cause an infection called salmonellosis which can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, infants and the elderly. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Anyone who ate meat included in this recall and develops symptoms should seek medical attention.

Anyone with legal questions about an illness associated with this outbreak should contact the Salmonella lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A., a national leader in foodborne illness, for a free consultation by clicking here or calling toll free 1 (888) 377-8900.

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A Salmonella outbreak associated with tainted chicken livers has sickened 89 New Yorkers, according to a press release from the New York Department of Health.

Schreiber Processing Corporation of Maspeth, NY, announced a recall of an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver and chopped liver products on November 8. The chicken products, sold under the MealMart brand, were labeled "broiled" and appeared pre-cooked but were only partially cooked and needed to be fully cooked before consumption.

In New York City, 56 cases have been reported, an additional 33 cases in nine upstate counties have also been linked to the outbreak.

Officials from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets have isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg from samples of broiled chicken livers from the establishment, and chopped chicken livers produced at retail locations. 

The products subject to recall include:

• 10 lb. boxes with two, 5 lb. bags of "Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Liver; Made for Further Thermal Processing"
• 10 lb. boxes of loose packed "Chicken Liver Broiled"

Each bag or box bears the establishment number "P-787" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The product was distributed to retail stores and institutional users in Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Rhode Island.

Consuming food contaminated with Salmonella can cause an infection called salmonellosis which can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, infants and the elderly. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Anyone who ate meat included in this recall and develops symptoms should seek medical attention.

Anyone with legal questions about an illness associated with this outbreak should contact the Salmonella lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A., a national leader in foodborne illness, for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling toll free at 1 (888) 377-8900.
 

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A recall of tainted pine nuts that are the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 42 people has been expanded from 5,000 pounds to 21,000 pounds, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday.

On October 26, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., of Rochester, N.Y., announced a recall of approximately 5,000 lbs. of Turkish pine nuts sold at its stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011, due to possible Salmonella contamination.

On Friday, November 4, Wegmans pine nut supplier, Sunrise Commodities, based in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, announced that it is recalling 21,000 pounds of Turkish pine nuts after FDA tests confirmed the presence of Salmonella on the product. Additional testing is underway to determine if the Salmonella detected matches the outbreak strain.

Sunrise Commodities has voluntarily recalled four lots of Turkish pine nuts that were distributed in bulk to various food vendors in Florida, New Jersey, New York and Canada. Each lot was packed in 22-pound boxes and included the markings:

    Warehouse Lot 27963 with the identifying code “PO#: 50165”
    Warehouse Lot 29628 with the identifying code “PO#: 50558”
    Warehouse Lot 27713 with the identifying code “PO#: 49595”
    Warehouse Lot 27427 with the identifying code “PO#: 50032”



Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, in some cases, the symptoms may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. If it spreads to the intestines or bloodstream a Salmonella infection can be serious and sometimes, fatal. Older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are most susceptible to likely Salmonella infection. Anyone who has these symptoms should seek medical attention. 

The law firm of PritzkerOlsen P.A.  is representing a person from New York who was hospitalized after she consumed pine nuts sold at Wegmans. Attorney Ryan Osterholm is our managing attorney for these cases. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form. 

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Our law firm is representing a person from New York who was hospitalized after she consumed pine nuts sold at Wegmans. Attorney Ryan Osterholm is our managing attorney for these cases. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

Almost two thirds of the people sickened by the pine nut Salmonella outbreak are from New York.  Of the 42 people who contracted salmonellosis from Turkish pine nuts sold in bulk bins at Wegmans grocery stores, 27 are from New York, according the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The outbreak includes victims from four other states. Eight people have been sickened in Pennsylvania, four in Virginia, two in New Jersey and one in Maryland. The victims range in age from less than 1 to 94 years old, putting the median age at 43. Sixty percent of victims are female. So far, two people have required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. Due to the lag in reporting time, illnesses that occurred after October 6, 2011, might not be reported yet, so the total number of case may increase, the CDC cautions.

Public health investigators are using DNA “fingerprints” of the Salmonella bacteria to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak which began on or after August 20, 2011. Virginia health investigators isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from Turkish pine nuts that were purchased from bulk bins at Wegmans stores and collected from an ill person’s home.

New York health investigators isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from two separate samples of homemade pesto containing Turkish pine nuts from two unrelated ill persons' homes, and from Turkish pine nuts from bulk bins at a Wegmans store and collected from another ill person’s home. 

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., Rochester, N.Y.,  has recalled approximately 5,000 lbs of Turkish pine nuts sold in the bulk foods departments of most of its stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011.

Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, in some cases, the symptoms may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. If it spreads to the intestines or bloodstream a Salmonella infection can be serious and sometimes, fatal. Older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are most susceptible to likely Salmonella infection. Anyone who has these symptoms should seek medical attention. 

Contact our attorneys for a free consultation regarding a lawsuit to recover medical expenses, lost wages, compensation for pain and suffering, and other damages.

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Minnesota is investigating a seventh case of Salmonella Enteritidis that may be linked to organic eggs from free range chickens at Larry Schultz Organic Farm in Owatonna, Minnesota.

The Minnesota departments of health and agriculture jointly announced late last week that three people were hospitalized and three others were sick enough to see a doctor and test positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella. An investigation linked the illnesses to the same producer and a recall ensued for Larry Schultz Organic Farm, Lunds & Byerly’s, and Kowalski’s organic eggs. The recalled eggs (click for details) were distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, food wholesalers and foodservice companies in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Phyllis Entis, aka the Food Bug Lady, reports that now a seventh case is under investigation. She quotes Trisha Robinson, Senior Epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. The FDA told Phyllis that  Larry Schultz Organic Farm is a small producer, with fewer than 3,000 laying hens, and therefore is is not subject to the FDA’s Egg Safety Rule and, therefore, was not on the FDA’s inspection schedule.

Just because a farm is labeled "organic'' or the laying hens are "free range,'' doesn't mean they are living in an environment free of  Salmonella or other human pathogens. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that for every confirmed case of Salmonella during an outbreak, many other people are usually sickened by the same bug but haven't seen a doctor who ordered a stool sample that would allow them to be detected as an outbreak victim. If you or a loved one believe you have developed a Salmonella infection after eating organic eggs from the Larry Schultz farm, see your health care provider immediately. 

For answers to legal questions about submitting a claim for compensation, contact an attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a Minnesota-based law firm that is recognized around the country as a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation. Free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by leaving your contact information. 

Our firm has collected millions of dollars for victims of Salmonella poisoning and is actively involved in multiple efforts to prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness. Numerous clients have testified before Congress about the importance of keeping our food supply free of potentially deadly organisms, including Salmonella. Fred Pritzker, founder and president, is often quoted in media reports on outbreaks and was recently featured in a story by the Christian Science Monitor.

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We are investigating a confirmed case of Salmonella Newport linked to eating at a Mexican restaurant in Grandville, Michigan (near Grand Rapids, MI). The Michigan Health Department has indicated that several others have been sickened after eating at the same restaurant chain, and that the outbreak is multistate. We are not able to name the restaurant at this time.

Our Salmonella attorneys are signing up cases and are available for a free consultation. We represent Salmonella victims nationwide.

Salmonella Newport is Often Multidrug-Resistant

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serotype Newport strains in the United States have increased substantially. They are resistant to at least chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole/sulfisoxazole, tetracycline, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, and cephalothin. Some phenotypes exhibits decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone, a critically important antimicrobial agent for treating invasive salmonellosis in children¹.

Past Salmonella Newport Outbreaks

Below are some of the Salmonella Newport outbreaks that have occurred in the United States since 2008:

• Sprouters Northwest/Jimmy John's Restaurants Clover Sprouts, December 2010: Vegetable, Sprouts, Clover Sprouts
• Assi Market Pickles, July 2010: Vegetable, cucumber pickles
• La Reyna Supermarket & Taqueria Mexican Foods, July 2010: Guacamole, Salsa, Tamales
• Redmond Farms/Real Foods Market Raw Milk, April 2010: Dairy, Milk, Unpasteurized, Raw Milk
• Caldwell Fresh Foods Alfalfa Sprouts, March 2010: Vegetable, Alfalfa Sprouts
• Beef Packers, Inc., Cargill, November 2009: Ground Beef
• Barto's Idle Hour Restaurant Vegetable, August 2009: Vegetable, Leafy Greens, Unknown Vegetable, Onions Cross contamination
• Massachusetts Restaurant Unknown, July 2009: Unknown Source
• Michigan Unknown Location, July 2009: Unknown Source
• Beef Packers, Inc., Cargill, June 2009: Ground Beef
• Washington State Restaurant, June 2009: Burritos
• Illinois Restaurant, October 2008: Unknown Source
• North Carolina Unknown Location, June 2008: Unknown Source
• 2008 Multistate Outbreak: Tomatoes and Peppers, Some Used in Salsa and Guacamole

Footnote:

1. Karon AE, Archer JR, Sotir MJ, Monson TA, Kazmierczak JJ. Human multidrug-resistant Salmonella Newport infections, Wisconsin, 2003–2005. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Nov. Available from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/13/11/06-1138.htm.

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Pork barbecue with vinegar and pepper-based sauce accounted for 23 percent of all samples of ready-to-eat meats that tested positive for Salmonella between 2005 and 2010, according to a recent study by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

No known illnesses have been associated with these products, but the high rate of incidence has the agency concerned. In a notice issued September 6, it ordered inspectors to meet with mangers of all plants that produce such products to make them aware of the study’s findings. Inspectors have also been instructed to review the safety of ingredients that are added to these products after the meat has been cooked.

Although the source of Salmonella in these products is not clear, one possibility is contaminated ingredients, such as the pepper or other spices in the sauce, that are added to the cooked and processes meat, the agency stated in a notice it released about the study.

“During processing of these products, the pork was cooked first, and the barbecue sauce was added after the cooking step. The lack of a lethality treatment for the sauce or its ingredients (e.g. pepper or other spices) could result in contamination of the final product,” the notice stated.

Until the notice expires Oct 1. 2012, members of the agency’s Risk, Innovations, and Management Division will work with the Data Analysis and Integration Group to review actions taken by establishments that test positive for Salmonella, to ensure that hazards have been addressed.

Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/48-11.pdf

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Health officials have linked two outbreaks of Salmonella infections (salmonellosis) to chicks and ducklings from a single mail-order hatchery in Ohio. Nearly 100 people in 20 states have become ill.

The outbreaks involved two strains of Salmonella, Altona and Johannesburg . In both outbreaks, officials found multiple tracebacks from the homes of those who were sickened to Mount Healthy Hatcheries of Mount Healthy, Ohio.

Salmonella Altona

65 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Altona have been reported from 20 states: Alabama (1), Georgia (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (5), Maryland (5), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), New Hampshire (1), New York (4), North Carolina (8), Ohio (12), Pennsylvania (6), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (3), Texas (1), Virginia (7), Vermont (1), Wisconsin (1), and West Virginia (4).

Salmonella Johannesburg

27 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Johannesburg have been reported from 15 states: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Georgia (2), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (2), Maine (1), New York (4), North Carolina (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (2), Vermont (2), and West Virginia (1).

Salmonellosis Prevention

Raising chickens in residential settings has become increasingly popular, but it doesn't eliminate the risk of foodborne illness. Over the last several years, the CDC has identified several outbreaks of Salmonella tied to backyard chickens.

To prevent illness, the CDC recommends that chickens be kept away from people with weaker immune systems, the elderly and children under five, that family members never snuggle or kiss the birds, that they never touch their mouths, eat or drink around live poultry and that they always wash their hands with soap and water after handling.

Pritzker Olsen Salmonella lawyers represent Salmonella victims nationwide. They can be reached for a free consultation at 1;-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our online form.

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Papayas from Mexico have been linked to approximately 100 cases of Salmonella Agona in 23 U.S. states:

Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (1), Georgia (8), Illinois (17), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (3), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (1), Texas (25), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (2).

FDA has been collecting and analyzing samples of raw, fresh whole papaya imported from Mexico. From May 12, 2011, to August 18, 2011, FDA analysis found Salmonella in 33 samples out of a total of 211, or a 15.6% positive rate. The positive samples were from 28 different firms and include nearly all the major papaya producing regions in Mexico.

Given this evidence, FDA has determined that papaya imported from Mexico appears to be adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because the papayas appear to contain Salmonella, an added poisonous or deleterious substance that may render food injurious to health.

Now, under an FDA Import Alert issued today, papayas from each source in Mexico may be denied admission into the United States unless the importer shows they are not contaminated with Salmonella, such as by using private laboratories to test the papayas.

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In Texas, a  Corpus Christi toddler spent a week in the hospital battling infection from E. coli and Salmonella, the girl's mother told KRIS-TV. The station's report said Nueces County health authorities are investigating a refrigeration problem at a restaurant where the girl had eaten chicken strips.

The restaurant Wings-N-More emptied a deli case where a health inspection found raw chicken strips stored at 68-degrees -- almost 30 degrees above the maximum recommended temperature, KRIS reported.

According to KRIS, the inspector wrote that he "had the manager verify the temperature of the product. At that time he did discard all the product that was in the deli case. He is going to keep the product on ice while he gets the refrigeration company out to get the unit fixed."

The 2-year-old girl's mother said her daughter was placed in isolation at Driscoll Children's Hospital for three days during her hospitalization, which ended this week.

Each year in the United States about 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Salmonella was the leading cause of estimated hospitalizations and deaths, responsible for about 28 percent of deaths and 35 percent of hospitalizations due to known pathogens transmitted by food. E. coli O157:H7 is one of the seven pathogens that cause 90 percent of all estimated illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.

Young children, older adults and people whose immune systems are weakened are the most susceptible to severe illness by infection from E. coli and Salmonella. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represents victims of food poisoning in foodborne illness cases against restaurants, meatpackers and all other food purveyors. Our 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 in food poisoning awards for victims around the country. Free case consultations are available by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by sending contact information for a lawyer to call you at no expense. 

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The Cargill turkey salmonella outbreak has reached Utah, health officials said. A Salt Lake County resident is the first reported case of Salmonella related to the outbreak that began nearly five months ago.

The Salt Lake County resident was sickened by a secondary strain associated with the outbreak but did not require hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to release the number of illnesses from that secondary strain. But they have confirmed that the original Salmonella Heidelberg strain has killed one woman in California and sickened at least 110 others in 31 states.

The outbreak has been linked to Cargill’s Springdale Arkansas turkey grinding plant and the company has recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey. Turkey products were distributed in Utah, although they have since been pulled from store shelves. Potentially contaminated products include the Honeysuckle White, Shady Brook Farms, Riverside, Aldi's Fit and Active, Giant Eagle, HEB, Kroger and Safeway brands. Of particular concern are products that may be stored in home freezers, officials said.

If you or a loved became ill after consuming a turkey product that is part of this Cargill turkey recall, seek medical attention. If you have questions about a Cargill turkey lawsuit contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by submitting your contact information online. 

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The Cargill ground turkey Salmonella recall -- at 36 million pounds -- has been called one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history. The contaminated meat from Cargill's turkey plant in Springdale, Arkansas, has been linked by the USDA to an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg that killed a woman in California and sickened at least 110 others in 31 states.

Since the recall was announced August 3, the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has compiled a very long list of retail outlets across the country where the ground turkey products were sold. National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has been accepting cases from this outbreak for a Cargill turkey lawsuit. Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania are the states hardest hit.

As part of its Cargill turkey Salmonella litigation work, Pritzker Olsen Attorneys has analyzed the retail data and is recommending that consumers consult the complete recall and retail lists to ensure they don't have recalled ground turkey made by Cargill in their home freezers. If you or a family member has experienced Salmonella type symptoms after eating ground turkey, contact your physician immediately. For turkey Salmonella lawsuit questions, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit contact information online.

Cargill turkey recalled from 1,373 stores

In all, the recalled ground turkey products were distributed to 1,373 individual stores in the U.S. The mainline brand involved in the recall is Honeysuckle White, but the Salmonella Heidelberg recall also covers the following brands of ground turkey products: Kroger, HEB, Safeway, Fit & Active, Giant Eagle, Shady Brook Farm and Spartan.

Thirteen national grocery chain stores are affected by the recall. They are: Alco, Aldi, County Market, Food Center, Foodland, IGA, Kroger, Market Place, Piggly Wiggly, Price Chopper, Super Valu, Thriftway and Walmart.

Another 135 statewide or area-wide stores are affected the by recall. Examples include Duckwall's in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas and Foodtown in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

The FSIS retail distribution list has a breakdown by states of individual stores known to have received ground turkey products covered by the Salmonella Cargill recall. The states with the most individual stores affected by the recall are Missouri (130 stores), Ohio (102 stores) and Illinois (83 stores.)

The complete turkey recall retail distribution list is searchable by city using the search function on your laptop or home computer. Click here for a complete listing of Cargill turkey recall brand names, package sizes and other information to identify  the ground turkey in your freezer as safe or not.

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Most people don't pause before taking a bite of a turkey burger to consider whether it will send them to the hospital. No one should have to consider eating ground turkey a game of Russian roulette. But an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections has been linked to ground turkey products produced by a Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation plant in Springdale, Arkansas.

A total of 107 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 31 states between February 27 and August 9, 2011. We are still getting contacts from people who think they may be part of the outbreak, so the outbreak numbers may grow.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (6), Colorado (2), Georgia (2), Illinois (13), Indiana (1), Iowa (2), Kansas (1), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (12), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (1), Missouri (4), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New York (2), North Carolina (3), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (14), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (4).

Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began on or after February 27, 2011. According to news reports, Cargill may have known about Salmonella Heidelberg contamination of ground turkey from the Arkansas plant months before this date.

Of the 107 identified cases, 25 (39%) have been hospitalized. One death, a woman from Sacramento County, California, has been reported.

Investigation of the Outbreak

Outbreak investigations involve gathering epidemiological and microbiological evidence to determine the source of the outbreak.

The epidemiological evidence is as follows:

Among the 71 ill persons with available information, 40 (56%) reported consuming ground turkey. This proportion is significantly higher than results from a survey of healthy persons in which 11% of persons interviewed reported consuming ground turkey in the 7 days before they were interviewed.

The microbiological evidence is as follows:

Cultures of five ground turkey samples purchased from five retail locations between March 7 and June 27, 2011, yielded Salmonella Heidelberg with the outbreak strain. PFGE patterns from these Salmonella bacteria were added to the PulseNet database between April 11 and July 12, approximately a month after each sample was collected. Preliminary information indicates that all of these products originated from a common food-production establishment (Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation in Springdale, Arkansas). These products were obtained as part of routine sampling in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)External Web Site Icon, and are not linked to illnesses.

This is a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. As of August 5, 2011, investigators have collected antibiotic resistance information on isolates from four samples of ground turkey collected at retail and from nine ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The isolatesfrom the ground turkey samples are resistant to antibiotics including ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The sensitivity testing results, to date, indicate that isolates from humans are also resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline, and some are resistant to gentamicin; however, the testing is not complete for all isolates. All human isolates are sensitive to several common antibiotics that are used in clinical practice such as ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Antimicrobial resistance may increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

A sample of leftover unlabeled frozen ground turkey was collected by public health officials from the home of an ill person in Ohio infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. Culture of the ground turkey sample yielded the outbreak strain on July 29, 2011. In addition to the outbreak strain with the “initial” PGFE pattern, a second closely related PFGE pattern of Salmonella Heidelberg was identified in the contaminated leftover product. Since February 27, 2011, a total of 23 ill persons have been reported to PulseNet with this closely related PGFE pattern. Among the 8 such patients that have been interviewed to date, 6 (75%) report consumption of ground turkey in the week before their illness began. The closely related PGFE pattern was also found in a retail sample of ground turkey taken as part of NARMS surveillance. This retail sample originated from Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation establishment in Springdale, Arkansas. Based on these findings, the 23 ill persons with this second closely related PFGE pattern of Salmonella Heidelberg have been included in the total count of outbreak cases.

Cargill Ground Turkey Recall

In response to this outbreak, on August 3, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Arkansas, establishment, recalled approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection. Read more about the Cargill ground turkey recall and a Cargill lawsuit.

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On March 9, 2011, the first Salmonella Heidelberg illness was reported in an outbreak that has sickened at least 78 people and killed one.  The same strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was found in a ground turkey sample purchased from a retail location in March. The contaminated ground turkey had been processed at a Cargill turkey processing plant in Arkansas. By April 11, at the latest, federal and state health officials had the evidence needed to connect Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses with Cargill ground turkey because PFGE patterns matching the outbreak strain were added to the PulseNet database beginning on April 11.

Why did it take until August 3 for Cargill to recall the ground turkey? Why did the USDA-FSIS warn consumers about ground turkey on July 29, but not mention Cargill? They knew at that time exactly where the contaminated ground turkey was coming from, yet this is what USDA-FSIS said on July 29:

CDC is partnering with state health departments to monitor the outbreak while FSIS focuses its investigation on potential identification of a contamination source(s).

People were scared of eating all ground turkey products, and all companies that processed, distributed and sold ground turkey products suffered. All USDA-FSIS had to do to prevent hysteria was let consumers know that it was Cargill ground turkey processed at the Arkansas plant that had sickened the victims of the outbreak.

Bill Tomson of The Wall Street Journal reported that the USDA-FSIS knew about the Salmonella Heidelberg contamination at the Arkansas turkey processing plant last year:

A routine USDA inspection last year of the Cargill plant in Arkansas turned up three samples contaminated with salmonella Heidelberg, the agency said. A USDA spokesman said the agency brought the findings "to the attention of the facility."

Elisabeth Hagen, the USDA's top food-safety official, told The Wall Street Journal that nothing could be done about the contamination at the time because Salmonella is not an adulterant under federal law unless the meat is linked to Salmonella illnesses.

It should not have taken almost 80 cases of Salmonella Heidelberg infection for Cargill to recall the ground turkey. Let’s hope in the future Cargill recalls products as soon as the company knows there is a potential for illness and death.

People from the following states have been sickened in the Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to Cargill ground turkey products:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California (one Californian died)
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Wisconsin

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The nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to Cargill ground turkey has sickened at least one person in Utah, a resident of Salt Lake County. The Salt Lake Valley Health Department announced the confirmed case today.

Last Wednesday, Cargill recalled about 36 million pounds of ground turkey products. According to the USDA-FSIS, the retailers below may have received some of the recalled products:

Statewide

Aldi
City Market Stores
Dan's Supermarket
Dick's
Foodtown
Fresh Market
Harmons
Macey's Stores
Ridley's Food
Walmart
WinCo

Specific Stores

1 Clark's Market Blanding 820 South Main Blanding UT-Utah
2 Winegar 3371 S Orchard Dr Bountiful UT-Utah
3 Kents Market Place 260 North Main Brigham City UT-Utah
4 Stewarts Thriftway 621 E Main Castledale UT-Utah
5 Lins 150 North Main Cedar City UT-Utah
6 Winegars 1080 West 300 North Clearfield UT-Utah
7 Quality Thriftway 180 East Main Street Delta UT-Utah
8 Valley Market Eden 2555 North Wolfcreek Drive Eden UT-Utah
9 Carter's Market 167 E Main Street Enterprise UT-Utah
10 Griffin Mercantile 30 West Main Street Escalante UT-Utah
11 Ute Indian Tribe 7750 E Hwy 40 Ft Duchesne UT-Utah
12 Lakeview Market 485 North Bear Lake Blvd Garden City UT-Utah
13 Soelbergs Thriftway Po Box 1337 Grantsville UT-Utah
14 Gunnison Thriftway 520 South Main Gunnison UT-Utah
15 Days Market 890 South Main Heber City UT-Utah
16 Kohlers 5353 West 11000 North Highland UT-Utah
17 Hometown Market 215 North Main Huntington UT-Utah
18 Lins 1120 West State Street Hurricane UT-Utah
19 Glaziers 264 South 100 East Kanab UT-Utah
20 Honey's Marketplace 260 East 300 South Kanab UT-Utah
21 Bowman's 326 North Main Kaysville UT-Utah
22 Farmers Market 495 N State Laverkin UT-Utah
23 Kohlers 300 East Main Lehi UT-Utah
24 Lee's Marketplace 555 E 1400 N Logan UT-Utah
25 Manti Market 35 East Union Manti UT-Utah
26 The Store At Midway 42 West Main Midway UT-Utah
27 Sunshine Market 530 North Main Milford UT-Utah
28 Village Market Moab 702 South Main Moab UT-Utah
29 Blue Mountain Foods P O Box 430 Monticello UT-Utah
30 Terrel's Thriftway 1050 South State Mt Pleasant UT-Utah
31 Mt Nebo Thriftway 900 North Main Nephi UT-Utah
32 Lee's Marketplace 2645 No Washington Blvd No Ogden UT-Utah
33 Neighbors Market 15 South Highway 89 North Salt Lake UT-Utah
34 Wangsgards 120 Washington Blvd. Ogden UT-Utah
35 Food Ranch Bestway 355 East State Route 29 Orangeville UT-Utah
36 Joe's Main Street Market 10 South Main Panguitch UT-Utah
37 The Market At Park City 1500 Snow Creek Drive Park City UT-Utah
38 Payson Food Corp 586 North Main Payson UT-Utah
39 Allen's Super Save 655 East 300 South Provo UT-Utah
40 Days Market 3121 N Canyon Rd Provo UT-Utah
41 Stewarts Roosevelt B.W.W. 245 W Hwy 40 Roosevelt UT-Utah
42 KentCo 3536 West 5600 South Roy UT-Utah
43 Winegars 3440 West 4800 South Roy UT-Utah
44 Reams 10650 S 7th East Sandy UT-Utah
45 Reams 8725 S Highland Dr. Sandy UT-Utah
46 Lee's Marketplace Smithfield 850 S. Main Smithfield UT-Utah
47 Sol Foods Supermarket 995 Zion Park Blvd Springdale UT-Utah
48 Allen's 340 South Main Springville UT-Utah
49 Reams 759 East 400 South Springville UT-Utah
50 Lins 1930 West Sunset Blvd St George UT-Utah
51 Kent's Foods Roy 300 East Main Tremonton UT-Utah

Potentially contaminated products include the Honeysuckle White, Shady Brook Farms, Riverside, Aldi's Fit and Active, Giant Eagle, HEB, Kroger and Safeway brands.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection, and include the products below.

Ground Turkey Chubs - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11

• 10 lb. chubs of Honeysuckle White Fresh Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 10 lb. chubs of Unbranded Ground Turkey w/ Natural Flavoring 2 Pack
• 80 oz. (5 lbs.) chubs of Riverside Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 10 lb. chubs of Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh Lean HEB Ground Turkey 93/7
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh HEB Ground Turkey 85/15
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 4-1 Pound Packages of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring Value Pack
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey

85% Ground Turkey - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11

• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey Colored with Paprika
• 19.2 oz. (1 lb. 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15
• 48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15
• 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 48.0 oz. (3 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Family Pack
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White Seasoned Italian Style Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings
• 20 oz. (1 lb. 4 oz.) trays of Safeway Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings * 15% Fat
  (NOTE: Sold in Texas only at Randall's and Tom Thumb, Use or Freeze by 03/12/11 through 04/30/11)

93% Ground Turkey - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11

• 19.2 oz. (1.20 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3.0 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey Family Pack
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Fit & Active Lean Ground Turkey 93/07
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Giant Eagle Ground Turkey Fresh & Premium Lean
• 19.2 oz. (1 lb 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh Lean 93/7
• 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey

Ground Patties

• 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey Patties with "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15, with "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey Burgers with Natural Flavoring with the following "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates: 07/09/11, 07/10/11, 07/11/11, 07/15/11, 07/16/11, 07/21/11, 07/22/11, 07/24/11, 08/01/11, or 08/04/11

Frozen Ground Turkey - Production Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/2/11

• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Spartan Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 40 lb. Bulk Packed Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring for Food Service Use Only

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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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Plant conditions are under investigation at Cargill, where ground turkey is linked to a Salmonella death and a 26-state outbreak of illnesses. The multinational food giant, based in Minnesota, shut down its Springdale, Arkansas, plant after USDA and CDC linked it to the outbreak. Cases are widespread but these states were hit hardest: Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania.

USDA said 79 people are considered case patients in the outbreak and that number could grow because contaminated product may still be in consumers' freezers. Kroger and Safeway are among the retail chains that sold the meat, but a comprehensive list of where the products were sold has not yet been released.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., which is based near Cargill's worldwide headquarters, is in contact with victims of this outbreak as it prepares for a possible turkey Salmonella lawsuit. Families and individuals sickened by this release of contamination into the food supply can discuss their legal options with a Salmonella lawyer at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by submitting basic  contact information.  Our firm has taken on Cargill in the past and won and we have collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for food poisoning victims from all over the country.

Salmonellosis is not to be taken lightly. Infection by this pathogen can lead to chronic health conditions that are serious in nature for years following initial illness. Food poisoning in the U.S. is preventable and holding mega-producers accountable for selling food that makes people sick is necessary to keep the system in check.

Honeysuckle White and other brands of ground turkey from the plant were sold nationwide for months. Cargill admits in a news release that these products may have been contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg, a strain that is resistant to some commonly prescribed antibiotics. Certainly, much of the meat already has been consumed, but USDA announced that Cargill is now recalling 36 million pounds of ground turkey products made at the Arkansas plant since February 20.

Salmonella, like other pathogens, harbors in the intestines of turkeys, chickens and other live animals and is spread via fecal matter or when stomach contents are spread onto meat during slaughtering. Cargill operates three other turkey plants that won't be shut down during the Arkansas inspection and investigation. USDA said it is continuing to investigate. Click here for a complete listing of the Cargill turkey recall.

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A California man is the first person to die in the 26-state Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak associated with ground turkey products. The man lived in Sacramento, according to California health officials. Five other people in California were also sickened in the outbreak.

California counties with Salmonella victims include:

• Sacramento (2)
• Los Angeles (1)
• San Francisco (1)
• Riverside (1)
• San Diego (1).

State and federal health officials have only warned consumers about this outbreak and the possible link to ground turkey. There has not been a recall of potentially contaminated products, nor have health officials let the public know the products involved in the outbreak to prevent illness. This is particularly troubling because the Salmonella Heidelberg strain involved in this outbreak is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. This antibiotic resistance can increase the risk of hospitalization, treatment failure (wrongful death) and future medical issues.

This is the second time this year that ground turkey has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak. From December 2010 to March of 2011, 12 people, including one from California, were sickened by Jennie-O frozen turkey burgers contaminated with drug-resistant Salmonella Hadar.  In response to the outbreak, on April 1, 2011, Jennie-O Turkey Store®, in Willmar, Minnesota, recalled approximately 54,960 pounds of frozen, raw turkey burger products.

Salmonella lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating this outbreak for a possible turkey Salmonella lawsuit. Our firm is accepting cases from California and other states. To pursue a claim, individuals and families who have been affected by the outbreak may call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or provide us with your contact information. PritzkerOlsen is one of the few law firms in the U.S. that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness and our attorneys are sought after for appearances at food safety conferences and by national health reporters covering outbreaks of foodborne illness.

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A Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak associated with ground turkey has sickened 77 people in 26 states. The strain of Salmonella Heidelberg involved in this outbreak is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. This antibiotic resistance increased the severity of infections, resulting in 22 people hospitalized, a high number for a Salmonella outbreak of this size. The antibiotic resistance also led to treatment failure and the death of one Salmonella Heidelberg victim.  

When a strain of Salmonella is resistant to several antibiotics, it is called a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain of Salmonella. The rates of multidrug-resistance in Salmonella have increased considerably in recent years.  Salmonella Heidelberg is one of the Salmonella serotypes more prone to develop resistance.

Increased Risk of Infection and Death for Salmonella Heidelberg Victims

Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg can result in any of the following:

• Increased frequency of treatment failure
• Increased severity of infection
• Increased frequency of bloodstream infections
• Increased hospitalization
• Increased mortality.

People with infections caused by antibiotic-resistant Salmonella have been found to be more likely to have bloodstream infection or die within 90 days.¹ One study found that the death rate for persons with multidrug-resistant infections was estimated to be 10 times higher in the two years following specimen collection than for the general population.²

What this means is that the Salmonella Heidelberg victims in this outbreak should seek compensation for this increased risk in addition to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

The following states are involved in this Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak: Alabama (1), Arizona (2), California (6), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (1), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (10), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), Mississippi (1), North Carolina (1), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), South Dakota(3), Tennessee (2), Texas (9), and Wisconsin (3).

1. Varma, J, et al. Antimicrobial-Resistant Nontyphoidal Salmonella Is Associated with Excess Bloodstream Infections and Hospitalizations. Journal of Infectious Diseases (2005), Volume 191, Issue 4, pp. 554-561.

2. Helms, Morten, et al. Excess Mortality Associated with Antimicrobial Drug-Resistant Salmonella Typhimurium. Emerging Infectious Disease (2002), volume 8(5), pp. 490-495.

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Our attorneys are investigating a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak that has sickened 77 people in 26 states. One of the Salmonella victims died.

The epidemiological and microbiological evidence points to ground turkey as the source of the outbreak. According to the CDC, among the 51 ill persons with available information, 25 (49%) reported consuming ground turkey. Cultures of four ground turkey samples purchased from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27, 2011 yielded Salmonella Heidelberg with the outbreak strain. Each Salmonella outbreak involves a unique strain of Salmonella.

"What I have found is that families want to hold companies responsible for selling contaminated food," said Salmonella attorney Fred Pritzker. "The family of the Salmonella victim who died in this outbreak has a legal right to pursue compensation for their loss and get some measure of justice."

Salmonella Heidelberg strains show higher rates of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. Ground turkey processors know this and should take every measure to make sure that the meat is not contaminated with the pathogen.  "A bite of a turkey burger should not kill someone," said Pritzker.

Attorney Fred Pritzker has successfully represented families in Salmonella wrongful death cases and is available for a free consultation. He has a national practice and represents Salmonella victims throughout the United States.

States involved in this outbreak include the following: Alabama (1), Arizona (2), California (6), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (1), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (10), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), Mississippi (1), North Carolina (1), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), South Dakota(3), Tennessee (2), Texas (9), and Wisconsin (3). Of those sickened, at least 22 have been hospitalized.

This is the second Salmonella outbreak in 2011 associated with ground turkey. A Salmonella Hadar outbreak in late 2010 and early 2011 was associated with consuming turkey burgers from Jennie-O Turkey Store, a Minnesota company. As of April 1, 2011, 12 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Hadar were reported from 10 states: Arizona (1 case), California (1 case), Colorado (1 case), Georgia (1 case), Illinois (1 case), Missouri (1 case), Mississippi (1 case), Ohio (1 case), Washington (1 case), and Wisconsin (3 cases).

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The CDC has released its first update on the Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to ground turkey that has sickened 77 people in 26 states between March 1 and August 1, 2011. One person has died.

"This outbreak could have been prevented with better sanitation and pathogen testing," said Fred Pritzker, lead attorney for our Salmonella lawsuits. "A bite of a turkey burger should not send someone to the hospital. These victims and their families deserve compensation, and the processor of the ground turkey needs to be held accountable."

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (2), California (6), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (1), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (10), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), Mississippi (1), North Carolina (1), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), South Dakota(3), Tennessee (2), Texas (9), and Wisconsin (3).

People sickened range in age from less than 1 year to 88 years old, with a median age of 23 years old. Among the 58 ill persons with available information, 22 (38%) have been hospitalized. This is an extremely high number of hospitalizations for a Salmonella outbreak.

One death has been reported. The family of this victim can pursue a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit against the companies legally responsible for the death.

The outbreak investigation is ongoing. Cultures of four ground turkey samples purchased from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27, 2011 yielded Salmonella Heidelberg with the outbreak strain. Preliminary information indicates that three of these products originated from a common production establishment; the fourth is still under investigation. These were obtained as part of routine sampling in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), and have not been linked to illnesses. Product information (such as date and location of purchase of ground turkey) is also being collected from ill persons and is being used by local, state, and federal public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies to conduct traceback investigations.

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In the recent Salmonella Agona outbreak linked to papayas, at least 99 people in 23 states were sickened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ten people have been hospitalized.

Of those hospitalizations, 8 were in the Chicago, Illinois area.  “For some people, Salmonella food poisoning might mean severe flu-like symptoms that eventually pass. But for others, it can mean serious illness or even death,” said Salmonella attorney Brendan Flaherty. “Our firm has represented people seriously sickened and killed by Salmonella poisoning. It’s important for those injured to receive the justice they deserve, and also to let companies know they can’t get away with selling contaminated products.”

There are 17 people sick in Illinois, with most of the illnesses concentrated in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Counties affected include DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will and Winnebago. The number of illnesses, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, are broken down as follows: Chicago-5, Cook County-4, DuPage County-4, Kane-1, Lake County-1, Will County-1 and Winnebago County-1.

The Salmonella Agona cases have been linked to papayas imported and distributed by Agromod Produce, Inc.., a McAllen, Texas company. The company issued a recall of papayas after samples of their papayas tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella. The recall involves Blondie, Yaya, Mañanita, and Tastylicious Brand papayas sold prior to July 23, 2011.

People who think they may be sick with Salmonella should visit a doctor and have a stool sample tested to confirm whether Salmonella is the actual pathogen making them sick. People who have a culture-confirmed case of Salmonella and have recently eaten papaya may be part of this outbreak. Speaking with a health care provider and contacting your local health department can help you determine if your illness is part of this outbreak.  If you have questions about this, contact our law firm for a free consultation.

Salmonella papaya outbreak victims may be able to file a lawsuit against Agromod Produce and others. A Salmonella lawsuit requires a lawyer who has experience investigating the microbiological and epidemiological evidence involved in a foodborne illness case. Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of people sickened by Salmonella and other food poisoning pathogens. Contact them for a free consultation today.

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Pritzker Olsen is a national Salmonella law firm for victims of the Salmonella Agona outbreak who ate contaminated papayas and want to file a  lawsuit against Agromod Produce, Inc. of Texas, the distributor of recalled papayas. Compensation for victims who file a papaya lawsuit may include amounts for any of the following:

• Hospital bills and other medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disability
• Loss of quality of life
• Other damages.

A Salmonella lawsuit should seek full and fair compensation. This includes amounts for expected future medical expenses, losses and pain. The value of each case depends on the facts. Our advantage as experienced Salmonella lawyers is that we know what cases are worth, and we have successfully negotiated with many of the insurance companies that insure food manufacturers, distributors and restaurants. Money to pay the Salmonella claims usually comes from the insurance company.

Papaya Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Agromod Produce

A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Agona infections has been linked to whole, fresh imported papayas. Public health investigators are using DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. 

A total of 99 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona have been reported from 23 states between January 1 and July 22, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows: Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (1), Georgia (8), Illinois (17), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (3), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (1), Texas (25), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (2).

Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began on or after January 17, 2011. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year old to 91 years old, and the median age is 19 years old.  Forty-one percent of patients are younger than 5 years old. Sixty percent are female. Eleven persons reported travel to Mexico in the week before they became ill. Ten patients were hospitalized. 

Eight of the ten people hospitalized in this outbreak were from Illinois. Nine additional people in Illinois were sickened but where not hospitalized (these people may still have claims against Agromod and others). The count in Illinois is as follows:

• Chicago – 5 cases
• Cook County – 4 cases
• DuPage County – 4 cases
• Kane County – 1 case
• Lake County – 1 case
• Will County – 1 case
• Winnebago County – 1 case.

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Our lawyers have won money for Salmonella victims in Illinois.

Our Salmonella attorneys are investigating a Salmonella Agona outbreak that has sickened at least 17 people in Illinois:

• Chicago – 5 cases
• Cook County – 4 cases
• DuPage County – 4 cases
• Kane County – 1 case
• Lake County – 1 case
• Will County – 1 case
• Winnebago County – 1 case.

Eight of these people were hospitalized.

“The victims of this outbreak deserve compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, pain and emotional distress,” said attorney Fred Pritzker. “Our job as attorneys is to hold all responsible companies accountable.”

The Illinois cases are part of a Salmonella Agona outbreak that has sickened at least 99 people in 23 states. The source of this outbreak is most likely papayas imported from Mexico by Agromod Produce, Inc. of McAllen, Texas. Agromod distributes papayas to retailers and wholesalers nationwide.

“Agromod Produce, Inc. may not be the only company liable for the Illinois Salmonella Agona cases,” said Pritzker. “Retailers, restaurants and others may also be liable.”

Our attorneys are available for a free consultation regarding a Salmonella Agona lawsuit. Victims and their families may call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.  

This outbreak has sickened people in Illinois in Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, Will County, and Winnebago County. Our attorneys can provide information regarding a papaya Salmonella lawsuit against Agromod Produce.

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GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas recalled fresh cut fruit products after the company was notified that papayas used in the fresh fruit products listed below were associated with the Agromod Produce, Inc. papaya recall dated July 23, 2011. The Agromod Produce recall was prompted by an outbreak of Salmonella Agona that has sickened at least 99 people in 23 states.

The recalled fruit products below contained papaya and were packaged in plastic containers.

Above listed product containing a Best if used by date of 7/30/11 or sooner should not be consumed. The products listed in this recall were distributed to retail establishments and distribution centers in Texas. No known illnesses have been associated with GHSW, LLC products, including the products listed above.

Papaya Outbreak Information

A total of 99 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona have been reported from 23 states between January 1 and July 22, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows: Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (1), Georgia (8), Illinois (17), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (3), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (1), Texas (25), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (2).

Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory investigations conducted by officials in many local, state, and federal public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies have linked this outbreak to eating fresh, whole papayas imported from Mexico by Agromod Produce, Inc. of McAllen, Texas.  Among 52 ill persons for whom information is available, 57% have reported consuming papayas in the week before illness onset. 

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The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 17 cases of Salmonella Agona in Illinois, which are linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak believed to be associated with papayas from Mexico that were distributed by Agromod Produce, Inc., a distributor in McAllen, Texas. Of the 17 cases in Illinois, eight hospitalizations have been reported. Cases have been reported in the following areas: Chicago-5, Cook-suburban-4, DuPage-4, Kane-1, Lake-1, Will-1 and Winnebago-1.

"We are seeing more and more cases where produce contaminated with Salmonella is making people sick," said Fred Pritzker, lead attorney for our Salmonella personal injury cases.  "We are here to make sure companies like Agromod Produce are held accountable."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak, which has infected a total of 97 people in 23 states between January 1 and July 18, 2011.

Agromod Produce, Inc. of McAllen, Texas is voluntarily recalling all Blondie, Yaya, Mañanita, and Tastylicious brand papayas distributed nationwide and to Canada through retail stores and wholesalers prior to July 23, 2011. Recent sampling by the FDA found the outbreak strain in two papaya samples collected at Agromod Produce, Inc. in Texas and at the U.S. border destined for Agromod Produce, Inc. The shipments that tested positive with the outbreak strain were not distributed in the U.S.

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Pritzker Olsen Salmonella attorneys are investigating a Salmonella outbreak associated with papayas from Mexico imported through Agromod Produce, Inc. A total of 97 people infected with Salmonella Agona have been reported from 23 states between January 1 and July 18, 2011.

The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows:

Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (1), Georgia (8), Illinois (17), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (3), New York (6), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (25), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (2).

Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak.

The FDA is advising consumers not to eat papayas from Agromod Produce, Inc., and the company is voluntarily recalling papayas as follows:

Agromod is recalling all Blondie, Yaya, Mañanita, and Tastylicious Brand papayas sold prior to July 23, 2011. Each Blondie Brand papaya can be identified by a blue and orange sticker label with green and white lettering on the fruit that states Blondie 4395 Mexico. The Yaya Brand Papayas can be identified by a yellow, red, orange, and green label with white, green and red lettering that reads Yaya Premium Papayas Yaya PLU-4395 Mexico. Each Mañanita Brand Papaya can be identified by a green, yellow and red sticker label that states Mexico Mañanita 4395. The Tastylicious Brand Papayas can be identified by a white and blue sticker with red and white lettering that states 4395 Tastylicious MEXICO.

Agromod Produce, Inc. distributes the four brands of papayas whole and unprocessed: Yaya, Blondie, Mananita and Tastylicious. Receiving retailers or others may have further processed the papayas.

For a free Salmonella case review, contact our law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

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Suzy Weems, Ph.D., a national food expert and chair of Baylor University's family and consumer sciences department, is warning people not to be fooled by Internet sites expounding the benefits of eating raw eggs. This is from a Baylor University news article:

A flurry of Internet sites are touting raw egg drinks or shakes as "primal and powerful," with others suggesting uncooked eggs be blended with vanilla or avocado for a tasty, healthy snack and still others insisting that the connection between raw eggs and salmonella is a myth.

Suzy Weems, Ph.D., a national food expert and chair of Baylor University's family and consumer sciences department, has this word for health-seekers: Leave no egg uncooked.

"Under no circumstances eat a raw egg," says Weems, a registered dietitian and a past chair of the American Dietetic Association's legislative and public policy committee.

Read the full article.

We could not agree more. Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Brendan Flaherty and Ryan Osterholm recently settled several cases involving Salmonella poisoning from eggs.

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Over 300 inmates and staff who ate tainted chicken at the U.S. Penitentiary-Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania were sickened by salmonella poisoning. "Tainted chicken" served in fajitas on June 25 has been confirmed as the cause of the outbreak at the prison 135 miles north of Philadelphia, according to Lamine N'diaye, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons northeast regional office.

The chicken was prepared in the prison kitchen, which was closed when inmates and staff fell ill soon after eating the chicken, according to the Associated Press.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys represent Salmonella victims nationwide. They recently settled a large case involving contaminated food served at fast food restaurants. To contact the law firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free case review form.

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The same week our Salmonella attorneys won a large settlement for victims of a 2010 Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, we learned of another Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, this time Evergreen Produce brand sprouts.

This new outbreak continues to grow:

From April 12 to July 5, a total of 25 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from 5 states: Idaho (3), Montana (10), New Jersey (1), North Dakota (1) and Washington (10). Results of the investigation indicate a link to eating alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts manufactured by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho.

The sprouts Salmonella outbreak prompted  Evergreen Fresh Sprouts to recall certain lots of alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled sprouts were distributed in Washington and Idaho by direct delivery to four distributors and three retail stores and could have ended up in restaurants and supermarkets in those areas and neighboring states. Contaminated products may still be in grocery stores and in consumers’ homes.

The recalled products are coded with Expiration Dates from 06 22 through 07 14. The products being recalled are identified as:

• Alfalfa Sprouts, Evergreen Produce, 4 oz. bag, UPC 8 38796 00103 7.
• Alfalfa Sprouts, Evergreen Produce, 16 oz. bag, UPC 8 38796 00108 2.
• Alfalfa Sprouts, Evergreen Produce, 5 lb. bag, no UPC.
• Spicy Sprouts, Evergreen Produce, 4 oz. bag, UPC 8 38796 00102 0.
• Spicy Sprouts, Evergreen Produce, 16 oz. or 5 lb. bag, no UPC.

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Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC announced a voluntary recall of Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts because the sprouts have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled sprouts have been linked to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections.

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CDC is collaborating with public health officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to Evergreen Produce brand alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts.  Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak.

If you are part of this outbreak, you may have a claim against Evergreen Produce and others. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

As of June 27, 2011, a total of 21 persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from 5 states: Idaho (3), Montana (7), North Dakota (1), New Jersey (1) and Washington (9). Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began between April 12 and June 7, 2011. Ill persons range in age from 12 years to 77 years old, with a median age of 35 years old. Seventy-one percent are female. Among the 10 ill persons with available information, 3 (30%) persons have been hospitalized.

The CDC, FDA and state health officials are continuing surveillance to identify new cases and trace potentially contaminated products.

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The FDA is warning consumers not to eat certain Evergreen Produce brand alfalfa sprouts or spicy sprouts because they may contain Salmonella Enteritidis. The possibly contaminated alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts are sold in plastic bags labeled “Evergreen Produce” or “Evergreen Produce Inc.” They are packaged in 4-ounce and 16-ounce plastic bags with pre-printed labels and are also packaged in 1-pound and 5-pound plastic bags with stick-on labels. The spicy sprouts are packaged in 4-ounce plastic bags with pre-printed labels and 1-pound plastic bags with stick-on labels.

The FDA Evergreen Produce sprouts warning was prompted by a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 20 people in Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota and Washington State. Several people sickened in the outbreak ate Evergreen Produce alfalfa sprouts before getting sick.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys recently settled several cases involving a restaurant chain that served contaminated sprouts.  They represent Salmonella victims throughout the United States.

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Nineteen people in Northern Idaho, Eastern Washington and Western Montana are part  of a Salmonella outbreak associated with alfalfa sprouts traced to Evergreen Produce, located in Moyie Springs, Idaho.

Idaho public health officials are recommending that people avoid eating sprouts from Evergreen Produce and discard any Evergreen Produce sprouts in their possession while the investigation is ongoing.

Our lawyers have won money for Salmonella victims sickened by contaminated alfalfa sprouts in other outbreaks. Our lead attorney for these cases is Fred Pritzker.

In these cases, victims may have claims against growers, distributors, retailers and restaurants, depending on the facts. These claims are called personal injury claims, and include compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.  If the Salmonella victim dies, the family may have a wrongful death claim against responsible parties.

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Illinois officials are testing food from Portillo's restaurant in St. Charles, Illinois, for Salmonella bacteria.. Nine of 13 people infected by an identical strain of Salmonella Typhimurium  reported eating at the St. Charles Portillo's restaurant during April.

That's the latest Illinois Salmonella update from Kane County Health Department. State and county officials are continuing to investigate the restaurant Salmonella outbreak to determine the cause. Another response to the outbreak is an investigation by food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., representing victims. For answers to legal questions on how the public can hold the responsible parties accountable, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online Salmonella outbreak form for a free case consultation.

Of the 13 case patients in this outbreak, seven are from Kane County, four are from DuPage, one from Cook and one is from Minnesota, Kane County officials said.  Nine are female and four are male, with their ages ranging from 17 to 64. Three of the patients were hospitalized, but all have since been released, the statement said.

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The recall by L&M Companies Inc., which was published by the Food and Drug Administration, covers bulk cartons shipped  between March 30 and April 7. The recalled cartons are marked Nature's Delight and contain the Lot # PL-RID-002990 on the side of the carton. The nationwide recall Friday came after FDA inspectors in mid-April found Salmonella on a randomly selected sample of cucumbers in a cooler at Four Seasons Produce of Central Florida.

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A Texas raw milk Salmonella outbreak in Dallas County is under investigation by health officials who have already confirmed a link between 3 illnesses and one Texas dairy farm. According to a press release from the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services, A 56-year-old Dallas County resident was hospitalized after drinking unpasteurized milk and has since recovered.

Since November, three similar cases had been reported to the state and were under investigation. All four cases have been linked to exposure to raw milk and three have been linked to one dairy farm, the release said. Officials didn't name the farm, but WFAA-TV of Dallas/Ft. Worth reported that state investigators were testing for Salmonella at Lavon Farms in Plano, where one of the victims allegedly purchased raw milk.

Owner Todd Moore told WFAA-TV the farm sold thousands of gallons of raw milk and never received complaints of any illness. Raw milk products can be bought and sold legally in Texas.

But Dallas County Health and Human Services Medical Director Dr. Steven Harris is urging the public to avoid consuming raw milk or raw milk products because of the risk for potentially deadly bacterial infections. Raw milk is unsafe because it is not pasteurized -- a flash heating process that kills human pathogens without spoiling milk's nutritional value..

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the Texas raw milk outbreak and accepting cases from those who have suffered. Our firm, at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, including Salmonella raw milk lawsuits. Submit our contact form and an attorney will contact you for a free case consultation.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal, diarrhea, fever, and headache. These acute symptoms may last for 1 or 2 days or may be prolonged depending on virulence factors. Salmonella is especially dangerous for infants, the elderly, and people with HIV or in treatment for cancer. Salmonellosis should not be taken lightly and people who suspect they have it should immediately see a doctor. In some cases there are chronic consequences. Arthritic symptoms may follow 3-4 weeks after onset of acute symptoms. One of the most severe and painful complications is reactive arthritis, or Reiter's Syndrome.

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In Thurmont, Maryland, Salmonella associated with a pancake and sausage breakfast is being investigated by the Frederick County Health Department, ABC station affiliate Channel 2 reported.

The Salmonella outbreak in March was connected by health investigators to a benefit breakfast that featured sausage made at a Frederick County 4-H Country Butchering event in late January. The State Health Department Lab tested some of the meat bought by guests and found Salmonella bacteria. Channel 2 did not say how many people were sickened in the outbreak and there was no press release available from the county health department's website.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal, diarrhea, fever, and headache. These acute symptoms may last for 1 or 2 days or may be prolonged depending on virulence factors. Salmonella is especially dangerous for infants, the elderly, and people with HIV or in treatment for cancer. Salmonellosis should not be taken lightly and people who suspect they have it should immediately see a doctor. In some cases there are chronic consequences. Arthritic symptoms may follow 3-4 weeks after onset of acute symptoms. One of the most severe and painful complications is reactive arthritis, or Reiter's Syndrome.

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The elderly are so vulnerable to Salmonella poisoning. For those sickened at West Shore Health Center by DeFusco’s zeppoles contaminated with Salmonella, the cases of Salmonella poisoning were even worse because these victims had health problems that further weakened their immune systems. Sadly, one of the few real pleasures these people still have, eating special sweet treats, almost killed some of them.

The elderly residents of West Shore Health Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, should be compensated for their medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. In addition, the compensation needs to take into account how the Salmonella poisoning from the zeppoles has permanently altered their health, impeded their rehabilitation and generally lessened their quality of life.

So many of us at our law firm can relate to the families of these dearly loved elderly people. Having a sick family member is hard enough, and it is tragic that this hardship was made exponentially more difficult by the apparent negligence of DeFusco’s Bakery. It is hard to imagine that anyone in the food industry would store pastries in cardboard boxes that had held raw eggs. Most of our children know better than that, especially after the huge Salmonella outbreak that sickened about 2000 people nationwide (that is the CDC number, but the actual number is far higher).

Our law firm is one of a handful that represent Salmonella outbreak victims nationwide, and perhaps the only major Salmonella litigation law firm with an attorney, David Szerlag, who is licensed to practice in Rhode Island.

Attorney David Szerlag is part of our Salmonella litigation team at Pritzker Olsen law firm. He recently was one of the lead attorneys in multidistrict litigation (MDL) that resulted in a multimillion dollar settlement for people injured by a defective product. MDL is like a class action lawsuit. David was one of three attorneys who oversaw the pretrial procedures for dozens of attorneys throughout the United States. Contact our Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation about a DeFusco's Bakery lawsuit.

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At least 25 people have been sickened after eating zeppoles from DeFusco’s Bakery in Rhode Island. So far, 13 of the 25 have tested positive for Salmonella, and 10 people have been hospitalized. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH):

The most likely cause of illness is consumption of zeppole pastries that came in contact with raw eggs. Pastry shells from DeFusco's had been stored in used egg crates, which could have exposed the shells to infected raw eggs.

We are a national Salmonella litigation law firm, and David Szerlag, one of our attorneys, is licensed to practice in Rhode Island. Victims of this Salmonella food poisoning outbreak deserve compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. Contact our Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation regarding a DeFuco’s Bakery zeppole Salmonella lawsuit. Salmonella can cause death and serious illness, including Reiter's Syndrome, a reactive arthritis.

This is particularly true given that the Rhode Island Department of Health found evidence that DeFusco’s Bakery negligently stored the zeppole shells in used egg crates. This is after a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella linked to eggs that sickened hundreds of people.

The bad news keeps getting worse:

HEALTH has now learned that American Bakery Supplies, a distributor in West Warwick, purchased zeppoles from DeFusco's. The company then distributed the pastries to Roch's Market in West Warwick; Meal Works in Coventry; and Touch of Class Catering in West Warwick. Meal Works (a catering company) served these zeppoles at events on March and 18 at West Warwick Manor Senior Center, St John and Paul Church in Coventry, Sparrow Point (senior facility) in West Warwick, and Crescent Park Manor in Riverside.

Zeppoles from DeFusco’s Johnston store were also sold at all DeFusco’s locations; Colvitto’s Bistro in Narragansett (note, yesterday's press release incorrectly listed the bakery's name as Calvitto's in Narragansett); Sal’s Bakery in Providence; and Focaccia World in Johnston. All five Crugnale Bakery locations in Providence, East Providence, North Providence, Cranston, and Cumberland also sold DeFusco’s zeppoles from March 16 through March 20.

During this investigation HEALTH also discovered unsafe food storage practices at Buono's Bakery in Providence. Their zeppole, cream puff, and éclair shells were also stored in used egg crates, which could lead to contamination from raw eggs. People are advised to immediately discard all baked goods from any DeFusco's ; zeppoles from any of the above locations; and zeppoles, cream puffs, and éclairs from Buono's Bakery in Providence.

Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

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A cream pastry Salmonella outbreak in Rhode Island has focused attention on bakery conditions at DeFusco's Bakery -- maker of zeppoles that have been associated with 19 people who became sick. Thirteen of these pastry outbreak victims were hospitalized.

Rhode Island health investigators announced a recall of all baked goods sold at DeFusco’s Bakeries following an inspection of the Johnston, Rhode Island, kitchen where the pastries were made. Inspectors found pastry cream for use in zeppoles and éclairs was stored at unsafe temperatures. In addition, the DeFusco's store contained unsafe, unsanitary conditions for food. The owner of DeFusco’s  in Johnston has voluntarily closed the bakery until further notice.

Rhode Islanders who ate DeFusco's cream pastries and have Salmonella symptoms should quickly see a doctor. While not all Salmonella infections will require medical care, anyone who has been sickened should be aware of long-term effects for this type of food poisoning and the medical liabilities and other harms that go along with it.

A possible DeFusco's lawsuit is pending and law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is accepting cases from victims via our contact page or 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE). Our nationally recognized foodborne illness lawyers also have launched an independent investigation of this zeppoles cream pastry Salmonella outbreak to determine more about the cause of contamination. The responsible party should be held accountable for all hospitalization expenses, lost wages, child care, travel, pain and suffering and other harms.

People who bring Salmonella lawsuits aren't "sue happy'' and contacting a lawyer to represent you in a claim can help bring peace of mind to families and individuals set back by the illness. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health has learned that zeppoles cream pastries from DeFusco’s Johnston store are sold at all DeFusco’s locations and also at Calvitto’s in Narragansett; Sal’s Bakery in Providence; Focaccia World in Johnston; and American Bakery Supplies, a distributor in West Warwick. All five Crugnale Bakery locations in Providence, East Providence, North Providence, Cranston, and Cumberland also sold DeFusco’s zeppoles from March 16 through March 20.

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Salmonella on cantaloupe traced to a single farm in Guatemala  may have caused an outbreak of Salmonella Panama that has sickened a dozen people in Oregon (5 cases), Washington (4 cases), California (2 cases), and Maryland (1 case). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to investigate in conjunction with FDA and various state health departments. Two of the victims of this food poisoning outbreak were hospitalized.

The cantaloupes were distributed through warehouse clubs in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

In the outbreak investigation, 11 of 12 ill persons reported eating cantaloupe in the week before illness. Ten of these 11 ill persons ate cantaloupes purchased at seven different locations of a national warehouse club. Information gathered with patient permission from membership card records helped determine that ill persons purchased cantaloupes sourced from a single farm in Guatemala.

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Newlyweds Taylor and Kyle Walker are doing their own investigation into a possible Salmonella outbreak involving their wedding guests. According to an interview of the couple on KTVB, the Boise, Idaho wedding reception included cascading fruit displays that contained cantaloupe purchased at Costco. In the days following the wedding, Costco called the wedding caterer and warned her that she had purchased a large quantity of cantaloupe that may have been contaminated with Salmonella Panama.

Taylor and Kyle Walker think that was the case and have done their own epidemiological study to help prove it, texting and calling guests to find out what they ate at the wedding. For legal claims, it is important to have microbiological evidence that supports the epidemiological evidence. Microbiological evidence includes a diagnosis of Salmonella Panama. Anyone still suffering from the symptoms of Salmonella who has not been specifically diagnosed should see a medical professional immediately. PFGE analysis should then be done . Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the DNA "fingerprinting" method that scientists use to determine the source of bacterial foodborne outbreaks.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys represent Salmonella outbreak victims throughout the United States. For a free consultation with a Salmonella lawyer at our law firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

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A post-mortem of the nationwide peppers Salmonella outbreak from 2008 shows that investigators were kept on the wrong trail for weeks while they relied on faulty food history information collected from victims and struggled to trace product through a convoluted supply chain.

The report was published in The New England Journal of Medicine by scientists from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. It ripped the produce industry for commingling and repacking produce with varying degrees of product documentation throughout the supply chain,

The report said these problems, and others, kept investigators on the wrong trail for weeks -- chasing what they believed were contaminated raw tomatoes -- while the number of infections continued to climb. Ultimately, the outbreak was linked to Mexican-grown serrano and jalapeno chili peppers based on a breakthrough by the Minnesota Department of Health. By the time the outbreak was over, about 1,500 people in 44 states were sickened and two people died.

Public awareness of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak began in early June 2008, when the FDA warned consumers to avoid eating fresh tomatoes, which it said were the likely cause of the outbreak. Initially it appeared to be related to salsa and/or guacamole served in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in the Southwest. The report said investigators spent seven weeks on tomato tracebacks, which ultimately failed to "converge on any one geographic location, grower, or supplier,''

Finally, on July 9, a nationwide alert on hot chili peppers went out. Between the two nationwide alerts, about 500 people fell ill with laboratory-confirmed infections. Eventually, the investigation led to two Mexican farms. At one, officials found Salmonella in irrigation water but it was not the outbreak strain. The other yielded water samples with the Saintpaul serotype. However, the researchers also noted that investigators from Colorado had collected a pepper carrying the outbreak strain from a sick resident's home and were able to trace it to a different Texas-based distributor, but from there the trail went cold.

National food safety lawyers PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represented victims of this outbreak and is involved on behalf of victims in practically all major outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, Shigella, Hepatitis and other foodborne disease. Our attorney group is one of just a few firms nationally that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for victims of food poisoning. At the same time, PritzkerOlsen is actively involved in numerous efforts to prevent outbreaks and our clients provided important testimony in Washington, D.C., that led to the recent passage of the sweeping Food Safety Modernization Act.

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Salmonella and chickens go together as surely as roosters crow at dawn, but many people don't recognize the extent of contamination hazards and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds families to take precautions while raising backyard chickens and other poultry. In recent years there have been several human Salmonella outbreaks associated with live poultry contact and the outbreaks are especially threatening to children and others whose immune systems are not fully developed or impaired. Salmonella is believed to be responsible for 35 percent of hospitalizations related to foodborne illness and 28 percent of foodborne deaths.

It’s common for chickens, ducks, and other poultry to carry Salmonella bacteria in their intestines, which is then shed in their droppings or feces. Even when the animals appear healthy and clean, the germs can live on their feathers, feet, and beaks. The pathogens also spread to cages, coops, hay, plants, and soil in the area where the birds live and roam. Additionally, the germs can be found on the hands, shoes, and clothing of those who handle the birds, feed them or work or play where they live and roam

Here's a list of live poultry raising precautions urged in a recent posting on CDC's Public Health Matters blog: 

• Do not let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry without supervision.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam.
• Avoid touching your mouth before washing your hands.  Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.
• Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.
• Wash hands after removing soiled clothes and shoes.
• Do not eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
• Do not let live poultry inside the house or in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens, pantries, or outdoor patios.
• If you have free-roaming live poultry, assume that where they live and roam is contaminated.
• Clean equipment and materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry, such as cages, feed containers, and water containers, outside the house, not inside. 

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A Maryland bean sprout processor has been shut down under court order while the owner addresses insanitary conditions found by public health inspectors. The company is Vegi-Pak Farm LLC of Mount Airy. The situation came to a head last week when the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in U.S. District Court seeking a permanent injunction against the facility until it could be brought into compliance with food safety laws.

Vegi-Pak General Manager Brian Lee told the Baltimore Sun newspaper that the company is complying with a consent decree that details a list of required actions, including cleaning the facility, storing seeds safely and treating them to reduce pathogens. There has not been a known outbreak of Salmonella or E. coli linked to the plant, but sprouts are susceptible to contamination even in plants that are in general compliance with food safety laws. That's because they are cultivated with heat and moisture, conditions that also favor clustering of E. coli, Salmonella and other harmful human pathogens.

 Since 1996, there have been 32 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts. Most of these outbreaks were caused by Salmonella and E. coli infections.

The most recent multi-state outbreak started last November and sickened 140 individuals with Salmonella through February 9, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that outbreak, the investigation indicated a link to eating Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets. Half of the illnesses were in Illinois, where Jimmy John's and Tiny Greens are based.

Before the shut-down, Vegi-Pak had been processing and packaging tofu and soybean and mung bean sprouts distributed to Korean markets in Maryland, Virginia and Washington. According to the DOJ complaint, Food and Drug Administration inspectors found equipment coated in food waste and a fly infestation inside the facility in September. In addition, workers were not adequately washing and cleaning the soybeans, and reported they were instructed by the company president to fabricate disinfection records, according to the complaint. A state inspection also found problems.

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The ranking member on the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee issued a statement on Friday in conjuction with a gathering of outraged victims from the outbreak, which killed nine people and sickened more than 700 others across the country in late 2008 and early 2009. Randy Napier of Ohio, whose mother was the ninth person to die in the outbreak, is among the core group of victims who remain upset that no criminal charges have been filed against Peanut Corporation of America's chief executive, Stewart Parnell. Napier and his siblings, along with other the family of the late Doris Flatgard of Minnesota, are represented in civil action by food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen P.A.

 

DeLauro, who represents the third district from Connecticut, strongly urged the Department of Justice to renew focus on the investigation. If federal authorities find the company has acted with willful negligence, DOJ should move forward with prosecuting the appropriate parties responsible, DeLauro said.

 

DeLauro was a supporter of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act that President Obama signed into law last month, but she continues to press for the creation of a single food safety agency to streamline the work currently done by  15 federal agencies that currently share jurisdiction in protecting our food supply. 

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The Quarry Hill Salmonella outbreak  that killed one person and hospitalized another in Camden, Maine, remains under investigation two weeks after seven residents of the extended care facility first fell ill with diarrhea, painful stomach cramps and vomiting. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed the outbreak in a newspaper story published by Bangor Daily News this week.

Even if the cause of the Quarry Hill Salmonella outbreak is not traced back to a certain food item, victims of the outbreak and their families may still have legal claims to pursue against Quarry Hill or others. Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., one of the very few attorney groups in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, is conducting its own investigation of the outbreak. The firm currently represents victims of nursing home Salmonella outbreaks in Ohio and Minnesota, including the families of two care facility residents who died from Salmonella infection in the peanut butter outbreak two years ago. The two Salmonella wrongful death lawsuits are still pending against the company whose brand name -- King Nut -- was on the peanut butter. 

When the Quarry Hill Salmonella outbreak hit in late January, PritzkerOlsen founder and president Fred Pritzker was in Boston to speak about food poisoning litigation at the annual law symposium held by the Northeastern University Law Journal at Northeastern University. Foodborne illness is preventable and the firm is actively involved in various efforts to keep dangerous pathogens like Samonella out of the food supply.

Families whose loved ones were killed or sickened in the Quarry Hill Salmonella outbreak may have legal questions about pursuing a rightful claim for compensation of medical bills and other harms. Mr. Pritzker will answer inquiries and provide a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our online contact form.

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Nine Salmonella death cases in the 2008-2009 peanut butter Salmonella outbreak caused a furor in the U.S., but never resulted in criminal charges against officials from the company linked to the outbreak -- Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) of Lynchburg, Virginia.

On Friday at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., Randy Napier of Ohio and Salmonella victims from five other families will be sharing their stories and calling for criminal prosecution of Stewart Parnell, who was PCA's chief executive leading up to the outbreak. Parnell liquidated the company in post-outbreak bankruptcy proceedings and he refused to testify before Congress about evidence gleaned by investigators showing that the company shipped products that initially tested positive for Salmonella. Federal authorities launched a criminal investigation, but two years have passed without indicments.

Nellie Napier, Randy's mother, was the last to die from the contaminated peanut butter sold by PCA under the King Nut brand. She was living in an extended care facility and peanut butter was one of her comfort foods. It wasn't until two days after her death that PCA announced its sweeping recall of all products dating back to 2007. Speaking on behalf of his siblings, Randy has repeatedly voiced outrage over the tragedy and continues to pursue a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit.  He and his extended family are represented by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The same firm represents the family of a second fatal victim of the outbreak, as well as others who were sickened.

The press conference will be held concurrently with the Government Accountability Project (GAP) Food Integrity Campaign Conference and will begin at 12:30PM EST. Victims will speak for approximately five minutes each and be open for questions following their statements.

Besides causing nine Salmonella deaths, the PCA peanut product outbreak sickened more than 714 people in more than 40 states. PritzkerOlsen was one of just three law firms representing victimsof the outbreak  that were central to gaining a court-approved settlement that distributed $12 million of PCA insurance money to victims.

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Yale researchers have discovered something about Salmonella that might lead to a new class of anit-microbial therapies that would neutralize the pathogen once inside the human body.

The findings were published this week in Science Express and summarized by the university's public relations department. Salmonella is a leading cause of food poisoning in the United States -- the No. 1 cause of food poisoning hospitalizations and deaths. Salmonella outbreaks sicken 1.2 million people annually and kill about 400, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Yale research is all the more interesting because Salmonella and other pathogens have been showing resistance to traditional antibiotics. According to Yale sources, here's what the new study by senior author Jorge Galan found:

Salmonella bacteria rely on a sorting platform or molecular machine that attracts needed proteins and lines them up in a specific order.  If the proteins do not line up properly, Salmonella, as well as many other bacterial pathogens, cannot "inject" them into host cells to commandeer host cell functions. Understanding how this machine works raises the possibility that new therapies can be developed which disable this protein delivery machine and therefore thwart the ability of the bacterium to become pathogenic. This process would not kill the bacteria as most antibiotics do, but would cripple its ability to do harm. 

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The Salmonella sprouts outbreak associated with clover sprouts from Sprouters Northwest prompted an FDA inspection that noted eight areas of observational concern about the cleanliness and condition of equipment and facilities.

According to a copy of Form 483 completed by the team of five FDA inspectors, problems they observed ranged from leaky roof, rodent harborage, food buildup on equipment, potential cross-contamination of sprout bins and the presence of Listeria monocytogenes on a production table.

Sprouters Northwest Inc. of Kent, Washington, recalled all clover and clover mix products because they had the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The sprouts were associated with at least 7 illnesses in Washington and Oregon. In addition, Wal-Mart of British Columbia, Canada, also has recalled Sprouters Northwest brand Deli Sprouts in conjunction with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The company's recall included clover sprouts, Brocco sandwich sprouts, Deli sprouts, clover onion sprouts and Spicy sprouts.

The observations of concern as listed in the report were backed up by specific examples, but here are the 8 overall observations: 

• Failure to take necessary precautions to protect against contamination of food and food contact surfaces with microorganisms and foreign substances.
• Failure to clean food-contact surfaces as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination of food.
• Failure to clean non-food-contact surfaces of equipment as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination.
• Effective measures are not being taken to protect against the contamination of food on the premises by pests.
• Failure to store equipment, remove litter and cut weeds that may be an attractant to pests. 
• Failure to maintain buildings, fixtures and other facilities in sanitary condition.
• Failure to hold raw material in bulk in suitable containers.
• Failure to maintain buildings and physical facilities in repair sufficient to prevent food from becoming adulterated.

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The Tiny Greens Salmonella outbreak linked to sprouts and associated with Jimmy John's has hit hardest in Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. That's where 99 of the 125 confirmed illnesses have occurred according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The outbreak strain of Salmonella has infected 65 in Illinois, 22 in Missouri and 12 in Indiana. Overall, the outbreak has been detected in 22 states and the District of Columbia, but no other state has reported more than 3 cases.

Public health and regulatory agencies have linked this outbreak to consumption of Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts. The sprouts were distributed to various customers, including farmers’ markets, restaurants, and groceries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri and may also have been distributed to other Midwestern states.

In Illinois, many of the ill individuals ate sandwiches containing sprouts at various Jimmy John’s outlets in at least nine counties. FDA and the Illinois Department of Public Health conducted an inspection of Tiny Greens Organic Farm in Urbana, Illinois. Thus far, one water run-off sample yielded the Salmonella outbreak strain.

A public claims center for this Tiny Greens and Jimmy John's Salmonella sprouts outbreak has been established by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. for a sprouts lawsuit on behalf of those who have been sickened.  A full analysis of your case and further investigation is necessary to determine the parties that you have a right to sue and how much your case is worth. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or contact us online. 

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The sprout Salmonella outbreak linked to consumption of Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts peaked in late November and early December but new cases have continued to be confirmed by medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From November 1, 2010, through January 11, 2011, 125 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-,  have been reported from 22 states and the District of Columbia -- that's up from 18 states in the previous CDC report. CDC said results of the investigation indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets.

At Tiny Greens in Urbana, Illinois, FDA testing of a water run-off sample found the Salmonella outbreak strain of bacteria. Based on all information, CDC continues to warn that consumers should not eat recalled Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts, and restaurant and food service operators should not serve them. 

Individuals sickened in this outbreak in Illinois and elsewhere may be interested in becoming part of a sprouts Salmonella lawsuit or Jimmy John's lawsuit. Outbreak attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., currently represent victims and are continuing to accept new cases. Get a free consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form for Salmonella claims. Our law firm has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation.

More than 20 percent of the victims in this Jimmy John's Salmonella outbreak linked to Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts have been hospitalized for treatment after suffering painful diarrhea. Some Salmonella infections develop into life-threatening illness, but no one has died in this outbreak. A potential risk for victims is developing arterial infections, reactive arthritis, which also is known as Reiter's Syndrome. 

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The Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts and certain Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois now has 112 reported cases in 18 states and the District of Columbia as follows:

California (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), District of Columbia (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (59), Indiana (10), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (22), New York (1), Pennsylvania (3), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (3).

Only certain Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois have been implicated in this outbreak.

From November 1, 2010, through January 4, 2011, CDC received report of 112 cases of  Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-. 

Among 111 persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from November 1 to December 24, 2010. Case-patients range in age from 1 to 75 years-old, with a median age of 28 years-old. Seventy-five patients (or 68%) are female. Among persons with available information, 24% reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Because the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern associated with this particular Salmonella serotype commonly occurs in the United States, some of the cases identified may not be related to this outbreak.

Our law firm is representing a woman from Illinois who was hospitalized for several days with a Salmonella infection contracted after eating alfalfa sprouts on a Jimmy John's sandwich. She developed a type of reactive arthritis called Reiter's syndrome . To contact our firm about a Jimmy Johns Salmonella lawsuit, call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our free consultation form.

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A statistically high number of people who have become ill recently with Salmonella, reported eating alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John's restaurants in 14 Illinois counties - Adams, Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake, Macon, McHenry, McLean, Peoria, Will and Winnebago. Since Nov. 1, 2010, the Department has received confirmed reports of 57 Illinois residents and one Wisconsin resident with Salmonella serotype I 4,5, 12,i- who ate at a Jimmy John's. Earlier reports included pending cases, but these numbers are of confirmed Salmonella cases only.

Alfalfa sprouts supplied to Jimmy John's restaurants by Tiny Greens of Urbana, Illinois, have been implicated as the source of the Salmonella outbreak, meaning victims of the Salmonella outbreak may have claims against both Jimmy John's and Tiny Greens for compensation.  Contact our Salmonella food poisoning attorneys for more information.

Prompted by this outbreak, Tiny Greens recalled all Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts from November 1st thru December 21st.  The recalled Tiny Greens alfalfa sprouts products were distributed thru various distributors in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri and could have ended up in restaurants and supermarkets near those areas.

From November 1 through December 27, 2010, over 90 individuals infected with the Illinois outbreak strain of Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:- have been confirmed by the CDC in several states and the District of Columbia: California (1), Connecticut (1), District of Columbia (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (57 - IDPH number), Indiana (9), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (17), New York (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (3).

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Tiny Greens of Urbana, Illinois, a sprout supplier to Jimmy John's, has recalled all Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts from November 1st thru December 21st because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The Tiny Greens sprout recall was prompted by an outbreak of Salmonella I, 4, [5] I, 12, i- infections that has sickened over 90 people in the following states and Washington D.C.:

California (1), Connecticut (1), District of Columbia (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (51), Indiana (9), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (17), New York (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (3).

Preliminary results of the outbreak investigation indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens brand Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets in Illinois. If you have been diagnosed with Salmonella food poisoning after eating at Jimmy John's, you may have Salmonella personal injury claims against Jimmy John's and Tiny Greens to obtain compensation for medical expenses, time off of work, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.

Our law firm represents Salmonella victims nationwide. Attorney Fred Pritzker has won millions for food poisoning victims and has appeared on national and local news programs to discuss foodborne illness lawsuits and food safety.

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Attorney Fred Pritzker is representing a woman who became seriously ill with a Salmonella infection after eating at a Jimmy John's restaurant in Illinois. She spent several days in the hospital and has not fully recovered.  For Jimmy John's Salmonella lawsuit information, contact our law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation. Our attorneys represent Salmonella victims nationwide.

Our client is one of over 90 people sickened in a mutistate outbreak of Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:- infections associated with consumption of alfalfa sprouts, in some cases on Jimmy John's sandwiches:

From November 1 through December 27, 2010, 94 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-, whose illnesses began since November 1, have been reported from 16 states and the District of Columbia.  The number of ill people identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows: California (1), Connecticut (1), District of Columbia (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (51), Indiana (9), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (17), New York (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (3). Among 91 persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from November 1 to December 14, 2010. Case-patients range in age from 1 to 75 years, with a median age of 28. Sixty-one (or 67%) of patients are female. Among persons with available information, 24% reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

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Alfalfa sprouts from Tiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Illinois have been linked to to an outbreak of Salmonella that has sickened at least 89 people, according to the FDA. Approximately half of the illnesses occurred in Illinois, where nearly all of the ill individuals ate sandwiches containing sprouts at various Jimmy John’s outlets.

"Both Tiny Greens Organic Farm and Jimmy John's should pay victims' medical expenses while these cases are litigated," stated Attorney Fred Pritzker. "Companies need to take responsibility for making people sick"

5 Things Salmonella Victims Should Know

1. Salmonella victims may have claims to sue Jimmy John’s, Tiny Greens Organic Farm and others for compensation.
2. Compensation for Salmonella victims can include amounts for medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.
3. The interviews and testing done by federal, state and local health officials are usually admissible as evidence in a Salmonella lawsuit.
4. Additional evidence is needed to prove pain and suffering, to establish the amount of medical expenses and lost earnings and to prove any expected future expenses and losses resulting from the Salmonella infection.
5. Our law firm is one of the few in the nation that litigates a large number of Salmonella and other food poisoning cases each year, and we have successfully represented people sickened in past outbreaks linked to alfalfa sprouts.

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A Salmonella outbreak in Illinois where a majority of those sickened said they ate alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John's has resulted in a decision by the fast-food sandwich chain to pull sprouts from menus in Illinois as a precautionary measure.

The Northwest Herald newspaper reported that the owner wrote franchisees a letter this week saying that about 88 people were sickened in 15 states and that of 40 interviewed, 28 ate at Jimmy John's and 25 had sprouts. The letter said the chain's restaurants and main sprout supplier have tested negative. The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed 43 cases of Salmonella in 10 Illinois counties. The department says a majority of those sickened ate alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John's. 

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A  Salmonella outbreak at Homewood at Crumland Farms nursing home in Frederick, Maryland, has sickened eight people, including one resident who died after being hospitalized with the infection. The Frederick News Post quoted Frederick County Health Department and the nursing home's executive director as saying the outbreak started in July and has continued into November.

A second person hospitalized in the Homewood at Crumland Farms Salmonella outbreak has returned to the home, said Eric Nichols, Homewood's executive director. He said the person who died had other health complications.

A Salmonella outbreak at a nursing home is particularly risky because young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems are most susceptiple to severe illness. In the 2008-2009 peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that swept the United States, law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represented the families of three older adults who died with the outbreak strain of Salmonella. The firm has recovered money for the survivors and is continuing to press wrongful death Salmonella lawsuits against parties responsible for the sale and distribution of contaminated peanut butter.

The Homewood Salmonella outbreak in Maryland is still under investigation and no source has yet been revealed.

Darlene Armacost, communicable disease program manager for the Frederick County Health Department, told Frederick News Post that the last onset of a case was in early November and,  "We are still monitoring the situation." Health department officials have inspected Homewood repeatedly, Armacost said. The entire Environmental Health Services branch of the department, the section that inspects restaurants, has visited the kitchen many times, she said. Employees have been tested. The cause may never be known, she said. 

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 A food safety publication has written a summary of how cockroaches can contribute to foodborne illness, using the 2008-2009 Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Salmonella outbreak as an example. The outbreak killed nine people and sickened more than 700 in 46 states, more than half of them children.

Quality Assurance and Food Safety magazine highlighted the outbreak while noting a University of Nebraska-Lincoln publication that said cockroaches have been knows to carry Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, coliforms and other pathogens. “This is because after feeding on contaminated food, disease bacteria can remain in the cockroach digestive system for a month or more. Later, human food or utensils can become contaminated with cockroach feces. It has been shown that Salmonella bacteria survive in cockroach feces for several years.”

The food safety magazine also noted a white paper published by the National Pest Management Association: “Pest Management in the Wake of the Peanut Corporation of America Salmonella Outbreak.'' The paper explained the conducive cockroach conditions at PCA at the time of the 2009 recall of contaminated peanuts that affected more than 3,900 products that used PCA as an ingredient supplier. “Cockroaches can spread 33 different kinds of bacteria,” said Missy Henriksen, National Pest Management Association Vice President of Public Affairs. “What we are seeing right now is that it really does underscore the importance of sanitation and proper pest management.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation of PCA revealed extensive unsanitary and harmful conditions: “From mold growing on ceilings to rainwater leaking into the production areas; from gaps large enough for rodents to easily access the facility to the presence of dead cockroaches throughout the plant.'' The conditions were termed unsanitary and harmful and the industry white paper said  poor or improper pest management practices could be viewed as a contributing factor in creating the crisis.

Food safety lawyers from PritzkerOlsen, P.A., which represented the families of three people who died in the outbreak, witnessed the plant conditions first hand as part of their investigation into the outbreak. The law firm continues to represent victims of food poisoning across the country and is one of the few U.S. legal groups practicing extensively in the area of fooborne illness litigation. Attorneys 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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In the coming week, public health investigators in Oklahoma will strive for answers in the Salmonellaoutbreak centered in Mustang Public Schools, located in the greater Oklahoma City area.

So far, there has been no public guidance to identify sources or even possible sources to this outbreak, which has sickened 12 elementary-aged school children in four Mustang schools. Also previously confirmed were two adult cases in Oklahoma County, including one person hospitalized. Carter County has a young adult with a confirmed case of Salmonella.

Oklahoma Health Department's Communicable Disease Division Director is Laurence Burnsed. He told The Oklahoman newspaper that the source of the outbreak could be food that is widely distributed to several areas of the state, but there's not enough information yet to suggest a food that people should avoid. The state also will be looking at scattered Salmonella cases in Iowa and Nebraska that may be related.

Meanwhile, Mustang school parents received a letter from the school district saying that the school is working diligently with the state health department to determine the origin of the cases. "Salmonellosis is not necessarily related to food preparation,'' a school district official wrote to parents.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has begun its own investigation into the outbreak and a Salmonella attorney at the firm is handling case calls from victims of this outbreak at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE). Families also may use the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is currently handling a Salmonella lawsuit on behalf of victims in the nationwide egg Salmonella outbreak. We are a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation with years of experience in the complicated legal process of helping families recover medical expenses, compensation for pain and suffering and other costs associated with food poisoning.

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Egg lawsuit attorneys from PritzkerOlsen, P.A., will inspect the facilities of Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms this week to bolster Salmonella egg litigation on behalf of outbreak victims nationwide. The lawyers’ on-site investigation comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found a shocking list of unsafe conditions including uncaged hens on overflowing piles of manure.

Attorneys Brendan Flaherty and Ryan Osterholm, along with poultry processing and products microbiology professor Dr. Scott Russell, will tour Hillandale Farms in New Hampton, Iowa on September 30 and Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, on October 5. Both attorneys will be available for media interviews before and after the inspections.

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Based on investigation of a Connecticut Salmonella reception outbreak in September 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has written that multiple types of Salmonella might be involved in more outbreaks than generally realized.

Two types of Salmonella were identified in the public health probe of the Connecticut reception one year ago that sickened at least nine attendees: Salmonella enterica serovar Schwarzengrund and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium variant O:5. The investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) identified potato salad as the likely cause.

Lab cultures found co-infection in one attendee and one food service worker who was not showing Salmonella symptoms of illness at the time of the reception somewhere in Connecticut -- the study doesn't say where. Attendees at the reception ate from a self-service buffet, but workers who prepared the buffet were observed to have bare-handed contact with ready-to-eat food and did not practice adequate hand washing.

Potato salad consumption at this Connecticut reception was strongly associated with illness and the food was prepared by a local restaurant -- not in someone's home kitchen. The CDC said in its report on the two-type Salmonella outbreak that knowledge of all Salmonella serotypes involved in an outbreak might help implicate the outbreak source, define the scope of the outbreak, and determine the selection of appropriate control measures.

People sickened in this restaurant-catered reception may still be eligible to join a Salmonella lawsuit against the purveyor. Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is conducting its own investigation into the outbreak and is accepting cases at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE). You may also contact the law firm by complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

PritzkerOlsen is a leading food safety law firm involved in virtually every foodborne illness outbreak in the United States. The firm has collected millions of dollars on behalf of people injured or killed as a result of adulterated food, including reception buffet food contaminated with Salmonella. 

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If you think you can't contract typhoid fever in the United States, ask one of the nine people who contracted typhoid fever after consuming a mamey smoothie with a little Salmonella Typhi thrown in at juice bars in California and Nevada.  

Mamey Smoothie Typhoid Fever Outbreak Facts

Our law firm is investigating a tyhpoid fever outbreak in the United States linked to mamey pulp (free consultation about a mamey pulp lawsuit). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers not to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc. Ontario, Calif., or the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, N.J. The CDC reports that at least nine people in California (5) and Nevada (4) are ill with typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi. Ill individuals have reported consuming products, including mamey fruit smoothies, made with La Nuestra or Goya brand frozen mamey fruit pulp. 

An investigation by the CDC and health officials in California and Nevada showed an epidemiologic link between an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Typhi and frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc. Ontario, California, and under the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, New Jersey.  This evidence can be used to sue Goya Foods or Montalvan Sales for payment of medical bills and compensation for lost income, emotional distress and pain and suffering. 

People with typhoid fever have reported consuming mamey fruit pulp, including mamey fruit smoothies at juice stands.This means that the owners of the fruit stands may also be sued.

What is Typhoid Fever and How Can You Get It from a Mamey Smoothie? 

Typhoid Fever is a serious bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. There are approximately 400 cases in the United States annually, 70 percent of which are acquired while traveling internationally. Infection occurs when a patient eats or drinks food or beverages handled by a person who is “shedding” the Salmonella Typhi bacterium in his stool, or if sewage is contaminated with the bacterium and the water is used for drinking or washing food.  The investigation into how the Salmonella Typhi got into the frozen mamey juice is continuing.  Because both companies involved got their mamey pulp from the same supplier in Guatemala, the contamination most likely happened there.

Typhoid fever can last up to three or four weeks. Symptoms occur within three days and up to three months after consuming contaminated food or water and include a sustained fever as high as 103 F to 104 F as well as stomach pains, a headache, anorexia, a slow heart rate, malaise, constipation or diarrhea, or a non-productive cough. People are the only host for the Salmonella Typhi bacterium, which is carried in the bloodstream and intestinal tract. Ten percent of untreated patients can remain infectious for as many as three months after the onset of symptoms, and 2 to 5 percent of these patients can become permanent carriers.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with typhoid fever, our Salmonella lawyers are available for a free consultation.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc. Ontario, California, or the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, New Jersey. The two companies get their mamey fruit from a common supplier in Guatemala.  The pulp was used by juice stands to make mamey smoothies.

An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments showed an epidemiologic link between an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Typhi infections and the products.  This means that interviews with patients and their families found that a statistically high number of people sickened in the outbreak had consumed frozen mamey pulp sold under the La Nuestra and Goya brands.

The CDC reports that at least nine people in California and Nevada are ill with typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi. Ill individuals have reported consuming mamey fruit pulp, including mamey fruit smoothies at juice stands.

Goya Foods Inc. and La Nuestra have voluntarily recalled their products:

Both the Goya and La Nuestra products are sold frozen. The Goya product is sold in 14-ounce packages in retail stores nationwide.  All production lot codes are being recalled. The UPC is 041331090803.

The La Nuestra brand mamey pulp comes in a 14-ounce plastic package.  All lot numbers are affected by this recall; however, packages produced prior to May 2009 are not identified with a lot number and are subject to this recall as well.  The UPC is 7-56869-10008-4.

Mamey fruit (sometime referred to as "zapote") is large and round, has brown skin and a fleshy orange pulp. It is grown mainly in the tropical lowlands of Central America and is very popular among the Hispanic community, especially in juices and fruit shakes (called "batidos").

Infections with

Salmonella

Typhi cause typhoid fever, a serious illness that can result in death. People with typhoid fever usually have a sustained fever as high as 103 degrees to 104 degrees F (39 degrees to 40 degrees C). They may also feel weak, or have stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite.

The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever is to have samples of stool or blood tested for the presence of Salmonella Typhi. If you suspect you or a family member has typhoid fever, it is important that you or the family member see a health care professional immediately.  If you or your family member is diagnosed with typhoid fever, contact our law firm about a lawsuit against the owner of the juice stand and Goya Foods or Montalvan.

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Salmonella-tainted pickles sold at Assi Market in Niles, Illinois, have been cited by the Cook County Department of Public Health as the cause of a Salmonella outbreak that has hospitalized five people.

The Assi Market pickel Salmonella outbreak was confirmed through laboratory testing of a pickle from a family of two of the confirmed cases. The store-made pickles were available for sale from July 25 to July 27 with a sell-by date of August 24, 2010.

The county's press release on the outbreak said investigators want to talk to anyone who ate a pickle from the market and fell ill.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. also is investigating the outbreak. To contact a Salmonella lawyer at the firm for information about a possible Assi Market pickel lawsuit, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

PritzkerOlsen is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation with a record of winning lawsuits for victims of  food poisoning. 

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A Salmonella outbreak linked to The Fort restaurant in Morrison, Colorado, last month sickened upwards of 20 people.

The outbreak was uncovered by CBS4-TV of Denver, which contacted The Fort and the Jefferson County Public Health agency. The restaurant, located 30 miles from downtown Denver, was never shut down.

Eight confirmed Salmonella cases were matched to the outbreak strain, which also was found in batter made with eggs contaminated with the outbreak strain of Salmonella. CBS4 reported that the meal at The Fort that  may have made people sick the most was rattlesnake cakes, a signature dish of The Fort that includes eggs.

The Fort is a prominent restaurant where President Clinton once dined with Russian President Boris Yeltsin.  The restaurant issued a statement to express sympathy to victims and vowed  to work closely with health officials to ensure safe food. 

Pritzker Olsen is a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions of dollars over the years for victims of food poisoning. Currently our firm represents a Colorado man sickened with E. coli from contaminated bison meat. We have years of experience in this complicated area of law and we represent victims in practically all major outbreaks of foodborne illness.

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At least seven people who ate at the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Illnois have contracted Salmonella infections (salmonellosis), according to the Cook County Department of Public Health. The food source of the outbreak has not been determined.

Even if food arrives at a restaurant already contaminated with Salmonella or another foodborne pathogen, the restaurant is liable for any illnesses caused by the food if the restaurant serves it.

In addition, people who get Salmonella food poisoning from a restaurant have a claim against the restaurant for money damages even if the food source of the outbreak is not found. Our law firm recently represented several people who ate at a restaurant and contracted salmonellosis. The food that made them sick had been consumed and thrown away, so the food source of the outbreak could not be determined. Our lawyers still won the case.

To contact a lawyer about a Salmonella lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

Source: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/seven-ill-from-salmonella-outbreak-at-country-club-in-glencoe.

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The Butte County Public Health Department says there is no laboratory confirmation yet that the Mix-Off was the cause, but attendance at the May 8 social event was common among all who reported illnesses to the Public Health Department.

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A multistate Salmonella serotype Newport outbreak is being investigated in connection with raw alfalfa sprouts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is conducting the investigation in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The outbreak has so far sickened 28 people with matching strains of this type of Salmonella infection in 10 different states. Victims range in age from younger than one year old to 75 years old and 32 is the median age. Cases are distributed throughout the ten states as follows: AZ (2), CA (14), CO (1), ID (3), IL (1), MO (1), NM (1), NV (2), OR (1), and WI (2)

According to the CDC announcement:

"Interviews of case-patients found that most reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts before becoming ill. Some case-patients reported eating sprouts at restaurants; others purchased sprouts at grocery stores. The initial investigation traced the implicated raw alfalfa sprouts to a single sprout processor in California. Investigations are currently ongoing at the sprout processor."

Because of Salmonella contamination concerns, a raw alfalfa sprouts recall was announced by Caldwell Fresh Foods on May 21. The recalled sprouts were sold under several brand names and were sold at 400 Walmart stores in 15 states.They were also sold at Trader Joe's

Safe Consumption of Sprouts: Avoid Food Poisoning

Health officials advise that children, pregnant women, people with weak immune systems and the elderly NOT CONSUME raw sprouts, as they can be a particular risky source of bacteria due to the warm, moist environments in which they are grown. This includes other types of sprouts in addition to alfalfa sprouts, such as mung bean sprouts, clover sprouts and radish sprouts. Cooking the sprouts makes them safer to eat because it can kill potentially harmful bacteria such as Salmonella.

Consumers can also protect themselves by requesting that raw sprouts NOT be added to dishes in restaurants or delis.

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A Salmonella outbreak associated with Caldwell Fresh Foods alfalfa sprouts has so far sickened 20 in 10 states and hospitalized four, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

Caldwell Fresh Foods has recalled the following products, which include two other brand names:

• Caldwell Fresh Foods - 4-ounce plastic cups and one pound plastic bags, and 2-pound and 5 pound plastic bags in cardboard boxes with sticker affixed with the printed words Caldwell Fresh Foods.
• Nature's Choice - 4-ounce plastic cups
• California Exotics brands - 5-ounce plastic clamshell containers
• SOLD AT: Various delis and retailers nationwide. In California, locations include: Kings Super Market, Numero Uno Stores, Cárdenas Markets, Trader Joe's Stores, Gonzalez Northgate Markets, Wal-Mart stores Jons Markets, and Canton Foods

Sprouts Contaminated with Salmonella

Sprouted seeds, typically from plants like alfalfa or mung beans, are grown in moist, warm environments where harmful pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli can thrive. In fact, Salmonella outbreaks in the past have been associated with sprouts.

The risk of contamination for sprouts can be so high, in fact, that according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

"The FDA currently advises all consumers to cook sprouts before eating them. And it recommends that the young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems should not eat sprouts."

The food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm have represented victims of Salmonella food poisoning from many types of foods, including peanut butter and pepper. Anyone who suspects they may be sick with salmonella food poisoning should see a doctor immediately and be tested for the pathogen.

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Raw ahi tuna is believed to be the cause of a Salmonella outbreak in Hawaii and the same strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B has infected 13 other people in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York.

The Hawaii State Department of Health announced the outbreak today, saying it has found 10 confirmed cases on Oahu related to eating previously frozen internationally imported raw ahi. The fish often was prepared as poke, a traditional appetizer of cubed raw fish in sauce and seasoning.

As of April 12 there also were 13 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection with the same pattern of Paratyphi B -- seven in California, two in Maryland, two in Pennsylvania, one in Massachusetts and one in New York.

Hawaii is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the other states to identify if those mainland patients were also exposed to raw ahi. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been asked to investigate international sources of frozen ahi tuna.

Hawaii Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said there is concern about the similarity between the current outbreak and a cluster of 35 Salmonella Paratyphi B infections confirmed in Hawaii between October 2007 and February 2008.

In that outbreak, the department determined that frozen imported ahi served raw in poke was the probable source of illness. Matching cases of Salmonella infection were found at that time in Colorado and California related to raw fish, but the commercial source of the contaminated tuna could not be traced.

 “With the help of the FDA, we hope to identify the source so we can prevent any further illness,'' Fukino said. 

Salmonella typically causes diarrhea that may be bloody and is often accompanied by abdominal cramps and fever. Symptoms typically begin within one to four days after exposure to the bacteria, although for S. Paratyphi B, incubation may take from five to seven days.

In infants, persons with poor underlying health, and those with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections, including Reiter's syndrome. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms after eating raw fish, meat or poultry, seek immediate medical attention and ask the doctor to obtain a stool culture. Legal questions about this outbreak are being answered by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), or via the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our firm represents victims of food poisoning all over the country, including Hawaii. Over the years we have collected millions for clients in foodborne illness cases. 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the process of verifying that the Daniele salami Salmonella outbreak involving contaminated red and black pepper is under control.

Since the agency last reported on the outbreak, very few cases have been added to the total, which now stands at 252 Salmonella Montevideo illnesses in 44 states. There's another nine cases of Salmonella infections of serotype Senftenberg related to the outbreak, the CDC has said.

Of 193 patients for which medical treatment information was available, 51 victims have been hospitalized and no one has died.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of this outbreak and is continuing to accept cases. To receive a free case consultation, call a Salmonella lawyer at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions for food poisoning victims. Our firm also is actively involved in efforts to prevent foodborne illness, including supporting tougher legislation in Congress to strengthen the U.S. system of food inspection and regulation.

The CDC said in its latest press release on the Daniele International outbreak that it is still working with the USDA , FDA and state partners to identify the specific products or ingredients that became contaminated and how the contamination occurred. The agencies also are still trying to identify any other food vehicles that may be involved.

The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo is as follows: AK (1), AL (2), AZ (7), CA (31), CO (5), CT (5), DC (1), DE (3), FL (3), GA (3), IA (1), ID (4), IL (23), IN (4), KS (5), LA (1), MA (14), MD (1), ME (1), MI (4), MN (6), MO (2), MS (1), NC (11), ND (1), NE (3), NH (2), NJ (9), NM (2), NY (19), OH (9), OK (1), OR (10), PA (7), RI (2), SC (1), SD (3), TN (5), TX (7), UT (9), VA (1), WA (18), WI (1), WV (1), and WY (2).

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Between January 23 and February 16, Daniele International Inc. of Pascoag, Rhode Island, recalled a total of 1.4 million pounds of salami products because they were believed to be contaminated with Salmonella Montevideo and/or Salmonella Senftenberg.

The company's Italian style sausage meat has been strongly associated with an outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo that has sickened at least 249 people in 44 states since last July. Another eight cases of Salmonella Senftenberg have been confirmed by investigators.

That's six more illnesses combined than were reported last week and the most recent onset of illness is marked as February 18. Other cases in the process of being confirmed have not yet been added to the overall count.

The Rhode Island Department of Public Health has found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo in samples of black and red pepper from Daniele's production plant. Since then, in domino fashion, two of Daniele's pepper suppliers have announced recalls and a couple of their customers have done the same.

See The Food Safety Lawyer for a comprehensive list of the recalls.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 percent of outbreak victims have been hospitalized. There have been no deaths.

If you or a loved one is a victim of this outbreak and have seen a physician, you may have legal questions about compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other costs. For answers and a free case consultation, call national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen. We already represent a number of victims from this outbreak and we are continuing to accept cases at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).

Salmonella infection can be overcome by healthy adults without treatment, but people should not take this form of food poisoning lightly. In the last national Salmonella outbreak, which was related to contaminated peanuts, nine people died and many more suffered long-term health consequences.

For victims of these preventable outbreaks, one of the long-term risks is a painful condition known as Reiter's Syndrome, or reactive arthritis (ReA).  Other possible long-term consequences include infected bone marrow or inflamation of the aorta or the heart muscle.

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More food companies may be recalling their products under a continuing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies into the Daniele salami Salmonella outbreak.

The FDA has announced in a press release that microbiological testing of ingredients manufactured by a supplier to Daniele has found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo in crushed red pepper.

The name of the supplier is Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, New York.

"Wholesome Spice sells spices directly to commercial customers, who may have incorporated them into their own products,'' FDA said in a press release. "FDA is currently working with Wholesome Spice to identify the customers who received the recalled product and determine if further recalls are necessary.''

The probe stems from an outbreak of Salmonella linked to salami and salame products made by Daniele International Inc. of Pascoag, Rhode Island. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed at least 238 illnesses in 44 states and the District of Columbia, including more than 60 hospitalizations. The outbreak started last July, but salami wasn't implicated until January. No one has died.

Red and black pepper are possible root causes of the outbreak, officials have said. 

"The FDA is actively investigating the supply chains of both black and red pepper used in the manufacturing of the recalled meat products. The Agency has collected and is analyzing 153 composite pepper samples, which represent more than 4,000 individual samples.''

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of the outbreak and is continuing to accept cases. We are one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected tens of millions for victims of food poisoning.

To talk to a Salmonella attorney about your case, free consultations are available by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).  If you would rather complete the contact form on the side of this Web page, a lawyer will call you.  

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to investigate the possibility that pepper in Daniele salami might be responsible for a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak that has sickened 238 individuals in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has been retained to represent victims of this salami Salmonella outbreak associated with Daniele International Inc. of Pascoag, Rhode Island.

The firm represents Salmonella infection victims throughout the United States, and has recently filed a lawsuit in Nevada (Shirley Shultz v. Union International Food Co., 3:09-cv-00259, United States Court, District of Nevada.) The Nevada lawsuit involves a 2009 outbreak of Salmonella Rissen linked to contaminated pepper produced by California-based Union International Food Company.

In response to this outbreak, Daniele has recalled more than 1.7 million pounds of salami products starting January 23. The outbreak itself dates to July 2009, hospitalizing an estimated 63 people. Leading states for the outbreak include California (30 cases), New York (18), Washington (17), Illinois (17) Massachusetts (13) and North Carolina (11).

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USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is gearing up for a one-year study to collect baseline data concerning the prevalence and quantitative levels of selected foodborne pathogens and microorganisms in raw chicken. The microbes serve as indicators of process control.

The two main pathogens targeted in the baseline study are Salmonella and Campylobacter, which Consumer Reports found recently to be common in store-purchased raw chicken .

FSIS has announced a  "shakedown" period of training for plant inspection personnel to learn the routines of the so-called FSIS Nationwide Raw Chicken Parts Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program. The testing will focus on broilers cut into chicken parts "of the type typically available for purchase by consumers.''

Before the baseline study begins, FSIS will conduct a 90-day training period. The purpose is to ensure that inspectors are familiar with new sample collection procedures for raw chicken parts. During this period, chicken parts are tested for Salmonella, Campylobacter, generic Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and plate counts of aerobic microorganisms.

Inspectors will inform plant personnel that the microbiological sampling from this baseline testing will not be the basis for regulatory actions.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen will publish results of the baseline study when theybecome available.

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The Illinois Department of Public Health has discovered Salmonella in an unopened salami product made by Daniele Inc. that was not included in the previous recall of 1.24 million pounds of pepper salame products.

The finding has prompted an additional recall of 17,235 pounds of hot sopressata calabres Italian sausage in 3 to 3.5-pound packages under the Daniele and Boar's Head brand names. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is peparing a list of retail stores nationwide that purchased the salami products. 

An FSIS press release said the hot sopressata calabres salami  was sampled during the course of the ongoing investigation of a 42-state outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo illnesses -- more than 200 cases at last count. The Illinois result marks the first time in the investigation that Salmonella was found in an unopened package of Daniele salami. More tests are being conducted to see if the bacteria matches the outbreak strain.

FSIS said the product tested is similar to previously recalled products bought by customers who later became sick.

Product subject to the expanded recall may have been cross-contaminated with black pepper before it was packed. The company believes that black pepper is a possible source of Salmonella contamination, the FSIS press release said.

Ill persons should immediately see a doctor. In this outbreak alone, more than 38 individuals have been hospitalized. Most healthy adults recover from Salmonella infection without treatement, but it can cause serious illness or death in young children, older adults and people who have weakened immune systems. Up to 2 percent of humans develop reactive arthropathy, or Reiter's syndrome, after being infected, a condition causing long-term chronic pain and disability.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has been monitoring this investigation and is accepting cases from individuals sickened in the salami outbreak. To contact a Salmonella lawyer for a free case consultation call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form on the side of this Web page.

We  have years of experience representing victims of food poisoning and are involved as advocates for victims in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness. This outbreak could have been prevented and it still appears to be active.

Click here to see the previous Daniele salami recall list. The expanded recall pertains to three items, all bearing USDA establishment number "EST 54" on the USDA shield of inspection.

• Packages of “DANIELE HOT SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 11/7/09, 12/16/09 and 12/18/09.
• Packages of “DANIELE SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 12/16/09 and 12/18/09.
• Packages of “BOAR’S HEAD BRAND HOT SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 11/28/09, 12/9/09 and 12/14/09.  

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Rhode Island Department of Health has confirmed  that the same strain of Salmonella Montevideo that has infected almost 200 people in 40 states has been found in an open container of pepper at salami maker Daniele Inc.

The Pascoag, Rhode Island, company previously announced a Salmonella finding in its pepper inventory, but didn't say whether the isolate was a DNA match to the strain making people sick across the country since last July.

The state didn't identify the brand of pepper or name the supplier, but did say that this particular brand was only distributed to Daniele Inc. in Rhode Island. The announcement does not ensure that Daniele pepper salami is the only product that caused the outbreak. But so far no products have been added to the Salmonella outbreak recall list.

Because the pepper sample that tested positive by Rhode Island Health came from an open container, it is considered the probable source of the outbreak and more tests are being conducted, the state said.

Previous lab tests by state health officials in Iowa and Washington found the outbreak strain of Samonella in open packs of recalled Daniele sliced variety packs containing pepper salami. 

A key finding in the investigation came from Washingon, where state investigators reviewing shopping receipts verified that 13 cases purchased the same salami variety pack before getting sick. The Iowa salami Salmonella confirmation came from a sample found in salami from a pack that one of the cases had eaten. 

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is accepting cases from this outbreak. We are currently representing Salmonella victims nationwide, including some who have suffered long-term consequences, such as arterial infections. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page for a free case consultation about your rights to compensation for a Salmonella outbreak that could and should have been prevented.

 

Salmonellosis is a common foodborne infection that comes from more than 2,000 strains of Salmonella and most people recover from salmonellosis on their own. But it is not to be taken lightly and can be deadly in cases involving young children, older adults and people who have weakened immune systems.

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One such group -- employees from a local furniture store -- was hit hard.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program collects data annually from 10 states on diseases caused by pathogens in food. The preliminary report covering 2008 showed no improvement on curbing foodborne illness, but national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker says a closer look at the data shows the problem runs deeper. Mr. Pritzker is founder and president of national food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. He is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illnesses and his firm has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and their families. For more information about the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

By FRED PRITZKER

The Federal government’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) recently released preliminary data about the frequency of certain foodborne illnesses in 10 monitoring states for the year 2008. This is the equivalent of the government’s report card for food safety. The scores, as they say, leave much room for improvement.

The “take away” point from this data is that “progress toward the national health objectives [for foodborne pathogens] has plateaued, suggesting that fundamental problems with bacterial and parasitic contamination are not being resolved.”

My comment [and their goal] is simply: “No Shit.”

Stripped of its “journal speak,” the data shows that after making progress for a few years, efforts to safeguard our food have gone nowhere.

"The lack of recent progress toward the national health objective targets and the occurrence of large multistate outbreaks points to gaps in the current food safety system and the need to continue to develop and evaluate food safety practices as food moves from the farm to the table."

A closer reading of the data actually points to more serious problems. For example, in just one year (from 2007 to 2008), test samples of ground beef yielding E. coli O157:H7 nearly doubled from 0.24% to 0.47%. This is really quite shocking.

It was also interesting to note that only 25.7% of E. coli O157:H7 infections and 7.4% of Salmonella cases are associated with outbreaks. In other words, in the vast majority of human illness associated with these two pathogens, the source is never identified.

In a way, this is even more shocking. It shows we’re still very inadequate when it comes to testing for and analyzing foodborne pathogens – in other words, what we don’t know will hurt us.  

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 A 77-year-old woman from Dayton, Nevada, who spent more than a week in the hospital with a Salmonella infection  has chosen national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen to represent her.

Shirley Jane Schultz  was diagnosed April 9, less than two weeks after California-based Union International Food Co. announced a recall of  Lian How white pepper. Much of the contaminated pepper had been sold to restaurants in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Health investigators have linked at least 60 illnesses in those states to the same strain of Salmonella found in Union International pepper. The entire list of recalled products  from Union International is kept by the Food and Drug Administration.

"While we are still gathering information about what caused the spices made by Union International Food Company to become contaminated with Salmonella, our client's illness highlights the ongoing problems in our food safety system," stated Eric Hageman, Ms. Schultz's attorney. "People shouldn't have to guess whether the food they are eating is safe.  From farm to fork our food should be safe.  But that didn't happen here.  As a result, Shirley Shultz ended up in the hospital, and someone needs to be held accountable." 

Mrs. Schultz continues to suffer from the effects of her food poisoning ordeal. While she was hospitalized, her loved ones feared that she would succumb to the illness when her kidneys temporarily shut down.

Pritzker Olsen is continuing to accept additional cases in this outbreak from all states impacted by it. To contact a Salmonella attorney at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

With considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing Salmonella outbreak victims and their families, the firm is involved in practically all major outbreaks of foodborne illness. In addition, founder and president Fred Pritzker is dedicated to educating the public about food safety issues and to pushing for badly needed strengthening of food safety laws. 

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An environmental camp for school children operated in Madison, New Hampshire, has reopened after a Salmonella outbreak sickened dozens of middle school classmates.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of the outbreak, which the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has traced to a kitchen mixer. According to media reports, the mixer was used to make both pudding and scrambled eggs. Investigators concluded that contaminated pudding was served by Purity Spring Resort, the camp's food provider.

Pritzker Olsen, a highly regarded specialist in foodborne illness litigation, has recovered millions over the years for victims and survivors of food poisoning. Currently, the firm is representing clients around the country in a variety of different outbreaks, including the families of three women who died in the ongoing peanut butter Salmonella outbreak caused by Peanut Corp. of America.

To contact the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete our online form for a free case consultation.

In the New Hampshire case, dozens of middle schoolers attending Stone Environmental School became ill and at least 15 of the illnesses were later confirmed as the same type of Salmonella. While state health officials investigated, the school voluntarily shut down.

David Freese, camp director, told The Union Leader newspaper of Concord, New Hampshire, that a new style of kitchen mixer will be used for food preparation.

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An electric mixer used to make scrambled eggs and chocolate pudding may have caused a Salmonella outbreak at a student camp in New Hampshire earlier this month.

WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire, has reported that the state Department of Health and Human Services determined that pudding at Stone Environmental Camp was contaminated with Salmonella. The investigation was conducted after more than 50 students from a middle school in Salem, New Hampshire, came down with gastrointestinal problems after an overnight stay at the camp.

Officials confirmed that at least 15 of the students suffered from Salmonella poisoning, a potentially fatal infection for young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen represents Salmonella clients around the country, including the families of three women who died in the peanut product Salmonella outbreak that swept the country starting last September.

The television report on the New Hampshire outbreak said the bacteria could have come from the mixer because it also was used to make scrambled eggs, which can contain Salmonella. The mixer was sanitized after every use, the television station reported, but a design defect may have allowed bacteria to get to an area where it couldn't be cleaned out.

Pritzker Olsen founder and president Fred Pritzker is involved in practically all major outbreaks of foodborne illness and has recovered large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. His firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food and enforcing food safety laws.

To contact the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete a free case consultation form online. 

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to announce soon a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella associated with alfalfa sprouts and the announcement may be coupled with an advisory for consumers to avoid eating sprouts.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys already represents victims in this outbreak and is accepting additional cases from all the states involved. Salmomella attorneys at the firm can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 or you can readily receive a free online case consultation. 

According to pubished reports, there are currently 31 confirmed Salmonella Saintpaul cases in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia. The Michigan Department of Community Health already is telling consumers in that state to avoid alfalfa sprouts after at least two victims of the outbreak were hospitalized.

The cases reportedly have a rare fingerprint and the pattern matches a recent outbreak that started in Nebraska and included a sprouts recall by Nebraska-based CW Sprouts, aka SunSprout Enterprises Inc. Pritzker Olsen is representing victims in that outbreak.

The latest outbreak reportedly involves more than one grower of sprouts and a trade association for the fresh produce industry already is warning growers to fall back in line with specific growing guidelines created more than five years ago by the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Health Services.

Since 1995, alfalfa sprouts emerged as a recognized source of foodborne illness, including Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. This year, there have already been at least three Salmonella outbreaks linked to sprouts.

In the Midwest (Nebraska and Iowa especially), there was the outbreak associated with CW Sprouts; in the northeast there is a current outbreak started in early April associated with a recall of sprouts distributed by Amalgamated Produce Inc. and on April 23 another Salmonella-related recall was announced by Calco Inc. of Arcadia, California.

Pritzker Olsen is involved in virtually all major outbreaks of food poisoning and the firm is one of the few firms in the country that are intensely focused on foodborne illness litigation. The firm has collected millions of dollars on behalf of victims of food poisoning.

Currently, clients of the firm include the families of three women who died in the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak caused by peanut butter and other products made from peanuts processed by Peanut Corp. of America of West Virginia. 

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National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys is representing one of the victims of a western states Salmonella outbreak caused by contaminated spices.

In total, at least 60 people have been sickened in four states, including 45 people in California, where the adulterated spices were produced.

In a press release this week, California Department of Public Health Director Mark Horton said the illnesses in his state have occurred in 18 counties in Central and Northern California. He said the latest onset of illness had been April 2.

The outbreak has been associated with peppers, curries and other spices made by Union International Food Company of Union City, California. The firm has recalled all of its products produced in Union City because of the potential they carry Salmonella.

Horton announced this week that CJ United Corporation of Oakland also is recalling products. CJ United said it had purchased white pepper, black pepper, curry powder and other spices from Union International.

CJ United's recall initially covered five-gallon plastic jugs of white pepper (powder), black pepper (powder), curry powder, paprika, cayenne and meat tenderizer. Then on Friday, the company also recalled five-pound plastic containers of its chopped onions, which had been delivered to restaurants.

The jugs of spices and onions all have the words "Natural & Delicious'' along with the CJ United Corporation logo.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly or others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.

Pritzker Olsen represents Salmonella victims around the country, including the families of three women who died separately late last year and early this year with infections linked to peanut products made by West Virginia-based Peanut Corp. of America.

The firm is involved in virtually every large outbreak of foodborne illness and has collected millions of dollars on behalf of victims of food poisoning. To contact a Salmonella attorney at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete a free case consultation form online. 

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Michigan health officials are seeing a growing number of Salmonella cases that investigators believe are associated with contaminated alfalfa sprouts used in sandwiches.

According to multiple media reports, the Michigan Department of Community Health is still looking for the origin of the sprouts. In the meantime, they are recommending that residents of the state avoid eating sprouts until more is known about where they are coming from.

Officials have said at least 16 cases have been confirmed in southeastern Michigan, with most illnesses occurring between March 23 and April 6.  At least two of the 16 received hospital care.

Already this year, alfalfa sprouts have spawned more than one outbreak of Salmonella. For years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cautioned young children, senior citizens and people with weakened immune systems not to eat  alfalfa sprouts for fear of contracting food poisoning.

Healthy adults don't usually require medical treatment during a Salmonella illness, but those in risk groups can potentially come down with serious illness and die from infections. For instance, national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys currently represent the families of three women who died in the nationwide peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that started last September and has sickened more than 700 people.

Previous outbreaks have been linked to manure in fields and poor hygiene in producing the food, which starts as a seed or bean. Infection with Salmonella typically causes diarrhea, fever and cramps, lasting from four to seven days.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete one of our  free online case consultation forms.

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Nearly 70 middle school students in the Salem, New Hampshire, public school district called in sick this week as part of the fallout from a Salmonella outbreak.

The outbreak occurred at an overnight camp late last week near North Conway, New Hampshire. The Eagle-Tribune newspaper quoted State Director of Public Health Dr. Jose Montero as saying that at least one student was hospitalized.

Students who attended the Stone Environmental School's overnight camp had symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and high fever. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services determined the children were infected with Salmonella after analyzing stool samples.

A team of investigators was sent to the overnight camp to inspect the facilities, interview staff and interview students. But Montero told the Eagle-Tribune that the exact cause of the outbreak may never be discovered.

National food safety law firmPritzkerOlsen, P.A., currently represents Salmonella victims and survivors around the country, including the families of three women who died with Salmonella infections in the massive outbreak caused by Peanut Corp. of America.

The firm has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major outbreak of food poisoning and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or receive a free online case consultation. 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to investigate what links there are between Salmonella found in contaminated pistachios and the same strain of Salmonella found in ill people whose cases are part of the CDC's collective food poisoning database known as PulseNet.

Recalls of pistachio foods that may be contaminated with the pathogen Salmonella Montevideo are continuing and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still making daily updates to its searchable database of affected products. 

The CDC, FDA and California Department of Public Health have spent months investigating Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., Terra Bella, California. A large customer of the company first alerted the government to positive Salmonella tests taken from batches of Setton pistachios. When health officials inspected Setton's facilities, they found Salmonella in critical areas of the facility and the potential for cross-contamination between roasted product and raw product.

No outbreak of illness related to the contamination has been confirmed, but the latest FDA report on the investigation shows some areas of interest. Quoting directly from the report:

Some of the DNA fingerprints of the Salmonella strains from the pistachio products match the DNA fingerprints of Salmonella strains from recently ill persons already in the PulseNet database. This particular strain of Salmonella also has been isolated from a stool sample in a child who developed gastroenteritis and who is reported to have consumed pistachios that were sourced from Setton Pistachio. In addition, this specific Salmonella fingerprint matches a number of other clinical isolates in the PulseNet data base. However, it is important to recognize that when a patient’s isolate has a relatively common DNA fingerprint pattern (such as this one) that matches that of a food isolate, it does not necessarily follow that the patient’s illness was related to that food. CDC is investigating whether the other cases infected with this strain of Salmonella have had exposure to pistachios from Setton Pistachio.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is involved in virtually all major outbreaks of foodborne illness. The firm currently is representing Salmonella victims around the country, including the families of three women who died with Salmonella infections after consuming contaminated peanut products.

If you or someone you know has become seriously ill from food poisoning, please call the law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or get a free case consultation. 

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It's been hard to keep up with all the food product recalls related to Salmonella-tainted pistachios grown and roasted in California.

The sweeping domino affect of one large distributor (Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.) selling more than 1 million pounds of adulterated pistachios to re-baggers and other food companies has now tumbled onto Girl Scouts of the USA. Of all the companies that purchased the wholesale pistachios, only one of them did microbiological testing that found the problem and reported it. And it wasn't the Girl Scouts.

Ashdon Farms of Waukesha, Wisconsin, has recalled certain code dates of 7.5 ounce Girl Scouts Pistachios packed in pop top cans. The company's recall notice said no illnesses have been reported in connection with the potentially contaminated nuts.

The pistachios were sold for fund-raising purposes by Girl Scout Councils in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Almost all of the cans were sold between October and early December 2008.

The complete list of all pistachio product recalls is being kept by the Food and Drug Administration.

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A Haywood, California, company is recalling 12,460 pounds of frozen chicken egg rolls because they contain black pepper associated with a Salmonella outbreak in western states that has sickened at least 42 people.

The egg rolls were made by EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC. The pepper spice was made and previously recalled by Union International Food Co. of Union City, California. EDS made its recall announcement in conjunction with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly people. Infection symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

The outbreak related to United International's white and black pepper -- some of which was sold in bulk to restaurants and food manufacturers -- has sickened people in California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington. The recalled spices were sold under the Uncle Chen and Lian How brands.

The frozen chicken egg rolls recalled by EDS  were produced between July 28, 2008 and March 27, 2009 and bear case codes "80210 through 80365" or "90001 through 90089." The packages bear the establishment number "P-20350" within the USDA Mark of Inspection printed on the side of the packages.

They were sold in 9.38-pound packages containing 100 1.5-ounce chicken egg rolls and 18.75 pound packages containing 100 3-ounce chicken egg rolls.

If you or someone you know became ill from products containing Uncle Chen or Lian How pepper, national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., can advise you of your legal right to compensation. The firm is involved in virtually every major outbreak of food poisoning and currently represents the families of three women who died in the widespread peanut butter Salmonella outbreak caused by Peanut Corporation of America.

To contact our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete one of our free case consultation forms online.

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The multi-state Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has grown to more than 120 confirmed cases and national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is continuing to hear from victims of the outbreak.

The firm, which is involved in virtually every major outbreak of foodborne illness, is representing victims in claims against  CW Sprouts Inc. of Nebraska.

It was early March when the Nebraska Department of Public Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first made the initial association between Salmonella Saintpaul infections and CW Sprouts' SunSprout products.

The company on March 3, 2009, recalled its alfalfa sprouts, onion sprouts and gourmet sprouts in an alfalfa sprouts recall announced in conjunction with the FDA. It was reported that the outbreak strain of Salmonella was found in patients in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas and Colorado.

In mid-March, for instance, the South Dakota Department of Health announced 29 illnesses believed to be caused by the sprouts. The agency said 14 percent of the people had been to the hospital for treatment. Salmonella infection is potentially fatal for young children, the elderly and other people with weakened immune systems.

The sprouts were sold under the Sun Sprouts label in 4-ounce clear plastic clam shell containers.

National Salmonella law firm PritzkerOlsen is one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of food borne illness litigation. To contact a Salmonella lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or get a free on line case consultation. The firm has a national reputation for excellence and a proven track record for recovering compensation for victims of food poisoning across the country.

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An affiliate of the California company at the center of a nationwide Salmonella recall of pistachio products issued a supplemental recall today covering 19 different pistachio products, including chocolate covered varieties.

At this stage of the investigation, national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is telling consumers to heed government advice not to eat any brand of shelled or unshelled pistachios, or any food products containing pistachios. There have been cases of illness that may be associated with contaminated pistachios and PritzkerOlsen currently is representing Salmonella victims from around the country in other outbreaks.

Setton International Foods Inc. of Commack, N.Y., announced the voluntary recall in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the company said it was not related to recent state health inspection findings. 

Setton International Foods Inc. is an affiliate of California-based Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. The FDA is investigating Salmonella contamination in bulk, wholesale pistachios from the 2008 crop year roasted and distributed by Setton Pistachio.

All together, the FDA has estimated that 1 million pounds of pistachios from Setton are being recalled.

The New York affiliate of Setton said its recall was related to pistachios it had obtained from the California operation. "This voluntary recall is not in any way  related to any inspection conducted by New York State or the United States Food and Drug Administration,'' the company's recall notice said.

The Associated Press reported this week that the New York affiliate of Setton failed its state health inspection last month because authorities found cockroaches and rodent droppings in the plant. Company officials have said they have remedied the problems.

The 19 products involved in Friday's recall are listed in full on the FDA's web site. The list includes "Certified Delicious Dark Chocolate Pistachios'' under the Setton Farms brand.

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The Washoe County Health District in northern Nevada and health officials from Carson City, Nevada, say that investigators have linked "Uncle Chen" brand white pepper to a four-state outbreak of Salmonella.

A broader association had been drawn to white and black pepper made by Union International Food Co., under the "Uncle Chen" and "Lian How'' labels. But in a press release Tuesday labeled "hot" news, the county and city said the outbreak was specifically linked to "Uncle Chen'' white ground pepper.

The authorities warned consumers  to avoid the seasoning and instructed restaurants and grocery stores to remove it.

 "Ground white pepper products from the Union International Food Co. have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella. The discovery of Salmonella in food samples collected from restaurants and food distributors prompted these recommendations,'' the press release said.

So far, investigators have confirmed 33 illnesses in California, four in northern Nevada, four in the area of Portland, Oregon, and one in Washington state. As part of the public health response to the outbreak (which has included eight hospitalizations) the California Department of Public Health has disclosed a list of  Union International's customers, mostly in California.

Union International has recalled its black and white peppers, along with other seasonings ranging from tumeric to wasabi powder.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has been monitoring the outbreak. The firm has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of foodborne illnesses. The firm also is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food and enforcing food safety laws.

To contact a Salmonella attorney at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 or complete one of our free online case consultation forms.

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CONSUMER ALERT: FDA is advising consumers not to eat any brand of shelled or unshelled pistachios, or any food products containing pistachios, such as baked goods, trail mix, and other snack foods, until FDA determines which pistachios and pistachio products are affected by the recall being conducted by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. ("Setton"), also called Setton Farms. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending that consumers avoid eathing pistachios and pistachio products until the agency knows more about a potentially widespread case of Salmonella contamination.

This is how the situation has developed.

• On Monday, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Calif., issued a large recall of bulk pistachios sold across the country at the wholesale level. Tests showed that the nuts contained multiple strains of Salmonella.
• This morning, the FDA issued a consumer warning against eating pistachios and pistachio products, saying that Setton Pistachio would be issuing an even larger recall of about 1 million pounds of the nuts.
• The FDA and the California Department of Public Health are investigating the company's facilities and conducting genetic testing on pistachios to see if Salmonella strains found in the nuts match illnesses reported by consumers.
• As of this morning, it was not known if the contamination has led to an outbreak but it is early in the investigation.
• The FDA warned consumers that many more recalls will be coming down the pike because food companies have used the potentially contaminated nuts in various products.
• In that regard, the pistachio alert is like the peanut product Salmonella outbreak that has lingered since September of last year. In that public health scare, more than 3,600 food products containing potentially contaminated peanuts sold at wholesale by Peanut Corporation of America have been recalled from the grocery market.
• The pistachio problem is not believed to be related to the adulteration of peanuts. The peanut-related outbreak has sickened more than 700 people and is believed to have led to nine deaths.

PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is representing victims in the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, including the families of three women who died with Salmonella infections. The national food safety law firm is closely following the pistachio situation and is already prepared to accept cases of those who believe they have been injured.

Fred Pritzker, founder of the firm, has appeared on CNN and CBS News as a Salmonella expert and he has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and regional newspapers about all outbreaks of foodborne illness.

If you or someone you know is in need of representation for a serious illness related to Salmonella and nuts, please call the firm (toll free) at 1-888-377-8900 or complete an electronic case consultation form. 

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At least 42 people, including 33 in California, have been sickened by the same strain of Salmonella -- an outbreak that health investigators have linked to white and black pepper spices sold by Union International Food Co. of California.

The company has recalled its pepper spices and other seasonings, including cayenne pepper, paprika, chopped onion, onion powder, garlic, curry powder, mustard powder, and wasabi powder. The spices have been distributed to retail stores and restaurants under the Lian How and Uncle Chen brand names. Much of the product was sold to Chinese and Vietnamese establishments.

Dr. William Keene, senior epidemiologist in the Public Health Division of the Oregon Department of Human Services, said in a news release that the outbreak strain is Salmonella enterica serotype Rissen. He said there are four known cases in Oregon, all in the Portland metro area, and that the same strain is linked to Salmonella illnesses in Washington and Nevada.

The spices were sold mostly in California and Oregon. Packages, which ranged in size from five-ounce plastic jars to 2.2-pound foil bags to 15-pound cardboard boxes with plastic liners, were labled "Packed by Union International Foods" or "Union National Foods.''.

Mark Horton, director of California Department of Public Health, said in a press release March 28 that consumers should avoid eating spices from Union International Food Co. In eight of the 42 cases confirmed since December, eight people were hospitalized.

For young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems, Salmonella infection can be fatal, but no fatalities have been associated so far with the spice outbreak. Symptoms of Salmonella  include diarreha, cramps and fever with an onset of illness between 12 and 72 hours after exposure to the organism.

PritzkerOlsen P.A., has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of foodborne illnesses, including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Shigella. The firm is involved in virtually every national outbreak and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. In addition, the firm is devoted  to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislative changes.

To contact a Salmonella attorney at PritzkerOlsen, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete a free online case consultation form .

 Keene said Oregon health investigators were the first to confirm Salmonella in Lian How pepper after they began testing products of interest in their investigation. He said health officials in California and Nevada quickly thereafter discovered that the same pepper was in use at restaurants in those states where Salmonella cases had been confirmed.

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                                                Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak Update

Health investigators in Minnesota have confirmed that Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria found in a five-pound tub of King Nut creamy peanut butter genetically matches the strains of Salmonella associated with an outbreak of 410 illnesses in 43 states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said infections from the Salmonella may have contributed to three deaths.

The King Nut product is not known to be sold in retail stores and the CDC said Monday that common brands of peanut butter sold in grocery stores do not appear to be associated with the outbreak.

The King Nut brand is distributed by Ohio-based King Nut Companies to food service accounts such as schools, hospitals, commercial kitchens and long-term care facilities. On Saturday, King Nut's president and CEO announced a voluntary peanut butter recall of all King Nut and Parnell's Pride labels that it sells. Both products are manufactured by Virginia-based Peanut Corporation of America.

The Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health said Monday in a press release that they conducted microbiological tests over the weekend to verify the connection that they tentatively drew late last week. The open container of peanut butter that tested positive for Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium came from a  long-term care facility associated with one of Minnesota's 30 confirmed outbreak illnesses, they said.

One patient, a woman in her 70s who had multiple health conditions, died with the disease, a Minnesota Department of Health spokesman has said. (Minnesota Salmonella wrongful death information).

The CDC said it is still investigating the outbreak, but it said  Monday for the first time that preliminary analysis of an epidemiologic study by CDC and public health officials in "multiple'' states suggested peanut butter as the likely source. The CDC cited Minnesota's focus on the King Nut brand. It also said clusters of infections in several states have been reported in schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals and other institutions where King Nut was the only brand of peanut butter in use.

                                                         Advice to Consumers

The CDC is giving the following advice to consumers: "Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.''

In addition, if you have been sickened by this outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium, you may be entitled to compensation (King Nut Peanut Butter Lawsuit.) 

According to the latest breakdown of known cases from the CDC, 410 people have been sickened in 43 states. The top four states are California with 55 cases, Ohio with 53, Massachusetts with 40 and Minnesota with 30.

 Among 388 persons with dates available, illness began between Sept. 15, 2008, and Jan. 7, 2009, with most illnesses beginning after Oct. 1. Patients range in age from less than 1 to 98 years; 48 percent are female and 18 percent have been hospitalized.

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Minnesota health investigators have found preliminary evidence that could tie five-pound tubs of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter to the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 400 people in 42 states.

Thirty of the 388 confirmed cases in the outbreak are in Minnesota, where a woman in her 70s died after getting sick from the bacteria. Ten of the Minnesota cases were in nursing homes and 11 people infected by the bacteria were hospitalized, state health officials have said.

When the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak was first reported earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was working with other agencies to find the cause. Late Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health issued a news release urging restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, schools and other institutional kitchens not to serve King Nut peanut butter.

The advisory was issued because preliminary lab testing of the product, which isn't normally sold at retail stores, indicated the presence of Salmonella with the same genetic fingerprint as the bacteria in the national outbreak. The peanut butter has not yet been linked directly to the national outbreak, but a Minnesota Department of Health spokesman told theStar Tribune newspaper that additional tests next week are likely to confirm the connection.

According to the CDC, Minnesota has the fourth most number of Salmonella Typhimurium cases in the outbreak. Only California with 55, Ohio with 53 and Massachusetts with 39 rank higher. The first known cases began to originate in early September.

Regarding the one death in Minnesota associated with the outbreak, a Minnesota Department of Health official has said the patient had "many other health conditions, so we don't know to what extent the Salmonella infection contributed to her death.''

What follows is a list of states involved in the outbreak and the corresponding number of confirmed Salmonella Typhimurium cases reported to the CDC: Alaska 1, Arkansas 3, Arizona 8, California 55, Colorado 9, Connecticut 6, Georgia 5, Hawaii 1, Iowa 1, Idaho 10, Illinois 4, Indiana 3, Kansas 2, Kentucky 3, Massachusetts 39, Maryland 7, Maine 3, Michigan 20, Minnesota 30, Missouri 8, North Carolina 1, North Dakota 10, Nebraska 1,New Hampshire 10, New Jersey 13, Nevada 6, New York 12, Ohio 53, Oklahoma 2, Oregon 5, Pennsylvania 12, Rhode Island 3, South Dakota 2, Tennessee 9, Texas 5, Utah 3, Virginia 12, Vermont 4, Washington 11, Wisconsin 3, West Virginia 2, Wyoming 2. 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday it is working "vigorously'' to identify the specific contaminated product that is causing a national outbreak of Salmonella Thyphimurium.

The CDC's written update on the 4-month-old outbreak did not specify what food or foods are being looked at as a potential cause. As of Wednesday, the same strain of Salmonella Thyphimurium had sickened 388 people in 42 states, the CDC said. The earliest recorded onset of an illness during the outbreak is Sept. 3. The CDC said the ages of the afflicted range from less than 1 year old to 103 years old. Approximately 18 percent of people sickened by the bacterial disease have been hospitalized, the CDC said.

The CDC said it is working with various state health officials and two federal agencies --  the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- to find the cause. Among states offering assistance with the investigation is Minnesota, where a team of researchers is conducting detailed standardized interviews with persons who were ill.

Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Center for Infectious Disease, Research & Policy (CIDRAP) on Thursday that one death in the state is associated with the outbreak. The patient was a woman in her 70s who had "many other health conditions,'' so officials do not know to what extent the Salmonella infection contributed to her death, Schultz said.

Schultz said of 30 confirmed cases in Minnesota, 11 patients were hospitalized and 10 were in nursing homes. The CDC said it would provide its next update on the outbreak investigation on Jan. 15.

Health officials in Ohio, where 50 cases had been reported as of Wednesday, were the first to go public with information about the outbreak early this week. The only other state with more cases is California, with 51.

Based on news reports, here's a partial list of states involved in the outbreak and how many cases they have reported in connection with the outbreak: Massachusetts 39, Michigan 20, Pennsylvania 12, New Hampshire 10, Idaho 10, Colorado 9, Maryland 7, North Dakota 7, Texas 5, Illinois 4.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and often does not require treatment. There is a risk of severe illness for young, old and immuno-compromised persons. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites, where it can cause death if the person is not promptly treated with antibiotics.

Attorneys at PritzkerLaw have years of experience in food poisoning lawsuits. Senior partner Fred Pritzker is currently lead attorney in a major food poisoning lawsuit involving victims from several states. If you or someone you love has been hospitalized after Salmonella poisoning or any other food poisoning, contact PritzkerLaw for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. You can reach us by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mailing info@pritzkerlaw.com, or filling in our online consultation form. 

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