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

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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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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One years ago the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was warning the public about a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to raw alfalfa sprouts that sickened 235 people in 14 states, including at least seven who were hospitalized.

In that outbreak, investigators believed growers' seeds were contaminated, causing a widespread problem. The Salmonella situation with sprouts is chronic and repeated outbreaks have prompted health officials to perpetually warn that they not be eaten by small children, the elderly or others with compromised immune systems.

Yesterday the FDA announced the latest  outbreak -- a strain of Salmonella Newport in sprouts that has infected at least 22 people in 10 states between March 1 and May 20. Infections have been confirmed in Arizona (1), California (11), Colorado (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (1), Missouri (1), New Mexico (1), Nevada (2), Oregon (1), and Wisconsin (2).

Six of those sickened have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. The Oregon victim of this outbreak is an infant.

The raw sprouts Salmonella outbreak has been associated with  Caldwell Fresh Foods of Maywood, Calif. The company is recalling all of its alfalfa sprouts marketed under the Caldwell Fresh Foods, Nature’s Choice, and California Exotics brands. 

The sprouts were distributed to Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart stores, other retailers and a variety of restaurants and delicatessens.

In Oregon, where the current Caldwell Salmonella sprouts outbreak was first announced, state epidemiologist Dr. William E. Keene, says there have been 12 outbreaks related to raw sprouts since 1995.

By the count of Dr. Douglas Powell, associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University, there have been at least 38 sprout-related outbreaks since 1990 in the U.S. and Canada.

 Most Salmonella infections cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pain that are overcome without medical care, but the pathogen is not to be taken lightly and can be life-threatening in individuals who have weakened immune capability. 

In almost every large outbreak of Salmonella there are instances of Reiter's Syndrome developing from infection. Reiter's Syndrome also is known as reactive arthritis and it causes joint pain and also can lead to serious heart problems. People with Reiter's Syndrome often report having painful urination.

If you have been sickened after eating alfalfa sprouts, you may have a claim for compensation against the grower, processors, retailers, distributors, a restaurant or other eating establishment.

For answers to such legal questions, contact a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

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Health investigators have confirmed an Iowa Salmonella outbreak, but so far the outbreak has not been traced back to a common source.

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced the outbreak, saying it has confirmed 11 possible cases of illnesses belonging to the same strain of Salmonella Newport. Of the 11 patients, one person had secondary complications of Reiter's syndrome, or reactive arthritis.

This syndrome is rare in Salmonellosis but is more common in men, those with HLA-B27 and minorities. What is Reiter's syndrome? Many clinicians may remember the useful mnemonic "the patient can't see, can't pee and can't climb a tree" describing the symptoms of conjunctivitis, urethritis, and reactive arthritis. This is one more reason to prevent foodborne diseases.

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There are 116 Safeway food stores in Arizona and one additional Safeway in Gallup, New Mexico, involved in the recall of more than 22,000 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service disclosed the retail list on Monday, reminding consumers again not to eat ground beef produced September 23 by the Fresno, California, plant of Beef Packers Inc., a subsidiary of Cargill. It is the second Beef Packers ground beef recall of 2009 that has been associated with an outbreak of Samonellosis.

The first Beef Packers recall and outbreak, announced in early August, sickened 39 people in 11 states and led to the recall of 825,769 pounds of tainted ground beef.

The meat in the latest recall was to be used or frozen by 10/11/09, so authorities believe the danger lies with ground beef that is now in the refrigerators and freezers of Arizona Safeway shoppers. Many of the packages were wrapped on black foam trays and they all are stamped with USDA establishment number 31913 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The recall includes safeway stores in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Sun City, Sedona, Tucson, Chandler, Glendale and Flagstaff. Click here to see the list in its entirety (scroll down once you see the title page).

State and federal health officials have associated the latest recall with a Salmonella outbreak that has so far infected two people.  If you or a loved one has been sickened by ground beef purchased at Safeway in Arizona or Gallup, New Mexico, call a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete a contact and information form on the side of this web page.

We are a national food safety law firm heavily involved in efforts to prevent foodborne illness. We represent Salmonella and E. coli victims nationwide, including an Arizona victim of the previous Beef Packers Salmonella outbreak. 

Salmonella infection is not to be taken lightly. It can be deadly, especially if contracted by a young child or an elderly person. And there are long-term health consequences that many people don't realize until a family member is victimized. 

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Safeway, Von's and Sam's Club are among retailers in nine states warning consumers that ground beef involved in a massive Cargill beef recall could be contaminated with a drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Newport.

Colorado has been hardest hit by the outbreak. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment has recorded about half of the 40 confirmed illnesses in the outbreak. Four people in Colorado were hospitalized but are recovering, state health officials say. Colorado Salmonella investigators found a high correlation between people sickened with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport and their consumption of ground beef purchased at Safeway stores.

In California, where Safeway is based, news reports say five confirmed illnesses have been found in Orange and Tulare counties. Safeway owns Von's, which has many stores in Southern California. The San Francisco Chronicle said Sam's Club also made an announcement about the recalled beef, which is probably in people's freezers by now if it hasn't already been eaten.

The Cargill ground beef recall encompanses nearly 43 tons of ground beef produced June 5-23 at the Fresno, California, plant that Cargill operates as Beef Packers Inc. An official notice from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said it may be linked to an outbreak of Salmonellosis.

The meat was distributed by Safeway in Colorado, California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming. If the product was purchased from a retailer owned by Safeway, look for use-by dates between June 6 - July 14. Packages also should be stamped with the USDA establishment number EST. 31913.

If you or someone you love has been sickened as part of this outbreak, contact a Salmonella attorney at the Pritzker Olsen law firm. Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have filed Salmonella lawsuits for victims around the U.S. As one of the nation's leading food poisoning law firms, we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims and we are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness.

Our experienced legal staff is ready to assist you at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online Salmonella compensation consultation form.

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By FOOD SAFETY ATTORNEY FRED PRITZKER

A new Salmonella outbreak was announced today: over 825,000 pounds of ground beef products processed by Fresno, CA-based Beef Packer, Inc. and distributed to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), the “particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.” In other words, this already “bad bug” is potentially much more dangerous than the “garden variety” of Salmonella (which by itself is particularly dangerous to the elderly, young children and people who are immune-compromised).

This latest Salmonella outbreak highlights a number of long-standing food safety issues.

The first is widespread and dangerous overuse of antibiotics in animal production. As many studies have shown, the prophylactic administration of massive amounts of antibiotics to livestock results in drug-resistant superbugs that are much harder to control and cause much greater harm to people sickened in foodborne illness outbreaks. I can think of no greater heartbreak than watching a loved one get progressively more ill from a foodborne illness and know that doctors are powerless to treat it.

Another issue raised by this Salmonella Newport outbreak is referenced in the following excerpt from the USDA-FSIS recall notice:

The ground beef products were produced on various dates ranging from June 5, 2009 through June 23, 2009 and bear the establishment number "EST. 31913" printed on the case code labels. The ground beef products were distributed to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah. Because these products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall.

In effect, our government is telling us that it’s up to individual consumers to track down whether the hamburger they consumed is laced with feces-laden poison. Could this approach be any more ass-backwards?

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