Serrano Peppers Recalled for Salmonella

Posted on March 19, 2011 by PritzkerLaw

A Salmonella threat in serrano peppers sold at Walmart in Wisconsin, Montana, Utah and Wyoming has prompted a recall by distributor WorldVariety Produce Inc. of Los Angeles. Some recalled serrano peppers also were distributed to Jewel-Osco stores in Illinois.

To date, no illnesses have been associated with the recalled product. In 2008, jalapeno and serrano peppers were implicated as the source of a major, multistate outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul that sickened 1,442 people, including 286 persons who were hospitalized and the infection might have contributed to two deaths. Contamination of peppers in the 2008 Salmonella outbreak might have occurred on the farm or during processing or distribution; the mechanism of contamination was never fully determined.

Salmonella causes fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In some circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and reactive arthritis known as Reiter's Syndrome. In some extreme cases, infection results in Salmonella death.

The affected Serrano Peppers in the current recall were grown in Mexico and isolated to 300 cases from Lot # 69073901. At the retail level, they were sold from bulk displays between the dates of March 1, 2011 through March 18, 2011. Contamination in the product was detected as part of a sampling program by the USDA which revealed that the finished products contained the bacteria. The FDA and California Department of Public Health continue their investigation as to what caused the Salmonella contamination.
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FDA Wants Spice Industry to Clean Up

Posted on March 14, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

 A Washington Post story on food safety says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants many spice companies to clean up their acts by putting their seasonings through a kill step to rid them of pathogens.

The story said FDA officials recently met with spice industry officials as part of its re-examination of contamination problems. The review is being prompted by a widespread outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo strongly associated with black and red pepper -- including the pepper used in more than 1.4 million pounds of recalled Daniele International Inc. salami products.

Health investigators have confirmed 249 Salmonella infections from the outbreak strain of Salmonella, including  more than 60 people hospitalized. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of the outbreak and is continuing to accept cases. Families in need of a free case consultation can call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form on the side of this Web page.

The Post story said the FDA wants spice handlers to use one of three approved methods to rid spices of bacteria: irradiation, steam heating or fumigation with ethylene oxide, a pesticide. Unless Congress adopts new legislation, the FDA can only suggest the change -- not mandate it.

 

"Consumers often associate salmonella with poultry, meat and other moist foods. But microbiologists say that the bacterium can survive in dried spices for years and that it is tougher to kill in a dry environment.

"Also, it takes only a small amount of salmonella in a dry environment to cause human illness, said Linda Harris, a microbiologist at the University of California at Davis,'' the story said.

Cheryl Deem, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, told the newspaper that contamination of raw ingredients has long been a problem. That because the vast majority of spices are cultivated outside of the U.S., where processing methods often result in contamination, she said.

 

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Pepper Salami Salmonella Outbreak Update

Posted on March 11, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

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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Two-Sided FDA Probe of Salami Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on March 6, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

The Food and Drug Administration is looking closer at the handling of spices from grower to end-user as it also continues to probe a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak related to red and black pepper in Daniele salami products.

The salami outbreak has prompted Daniele Salmonella litigation and national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims. The firm is continuing to accept cases from the outbreak and victims can receive a free consultation by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the information panel on the side of this Web page. 

In its probe of the Daniele salami outbreak, FDA is working with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and others to determine the extent to which pepper played a role. The outbreak has sickened more than 245 people in 44 states and has hospitalized more than 60. It started last July.

In the latest FDA report on the salami Salmonella outbreak, the agency said it has collected 153 composite pepper samples at various locations in the supply chain. Samples from four products collected at Daniele International Inc. in Rhode Island tested positive for Salmonella. Samples of crushed red pepper have tested positive for the outbreak strain.

FDA also said it collected samples of pepper from commercial customers (besides Daniele) of Mincing Overseas Spice Company and Wholesome Spice Company. Thus far, two of the samples collected have tested positive for types of Salmonella not associated with the outbreak. The findings prompted Heartland Foods Inc. to recall course ground pepper and Mincing Overseas Spice Company to recall black pepper lot 3309. 

The overall review of bacterial contamination of spices started last spring and involves developing a spice risk profile. It is designed to help identify what the industry and food safety inspectors can do differently to guard against pathogens.  Some members of the spice industry have already agreed to provide data to FDA for the risk profile, which will help the agency decide how to allocate its prevention resources or possibly make new rules. 

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Daniele Salami Salmonella Outbreak Victims Represented by Pritzker Olsen

Posted on February 25, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

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).

“Manufacturers are responsible for the safety of their products,” said Fred Pritzker, managing attorney for the firm’s Salmonella cases. “That means recalling adulterated products quickly, clearly and honestly. That does not mean issuing several separate recalls and putting consumers at risk.”
 
 Fred Pritzker is founder and president of Pritzker Olsen, P.A., one of the few law firms in the nation practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Over the years, the firm has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning. The firm has offices at Plaza VII, 45 7th St. So., Suite 2950, Minneapolis, MN 55402. For more information or to contact Fred, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web Page.
 
For a complete master list of all the recalled salami products, see The Food Safety Lawyer, Fred'sblog. The products were distributed nationwide, including at several national chains. Click here to see the complete salami retail distribution list kept by CDC.
 
Pritzker Olsen has been closely monitoring the investigation and has published a salami Salmonella recap to answer FAQ frequently asked questions about the outbreak. 
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Salami Salmonella Outbreak Still Growing

Posted on February 11, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

In the past three weeks of tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of illnesses confirmed in the Daniele salami Salmonella outbreak has grown by 33 cases to the current level of 217 illnesses in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

The most recent onset of illness confirmed in the investigation came on January 18, but there's always a couple of weeks of lag time before a person who is sick from the outbreak strain of Salmonella is analyzed and confirmed as a victim.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is accepting cases from this outbreak and has years of experience representing the families of individuals who have become seriously and deathly ill from Salmonella poisoning. We are a leading practitioner of  foodborne illness litigation, recovering tens of millions for victims over the years.

The latest CDC update confirms the hardest hit states as California (30 cases), New York (18), Washington (15),  Illinois (14) and Massachusetts (12). More than 50 people have been hospitalized nationwide and no deaths have been reported.

State and federal health investigators have found DNA evidence that pepper salami and hot sopressata calabrese Italian style sausage products made by Daniele Inc. of Pascoag, Rhode Island, caused the outbreak. The company has recalled 1.26 million pounds of product and the CDC is following the pepper trail to see if any other peppered food products are vehicles of the current outbreak.

It has been shown that the two distributors who sold black pepper to Daniele used common overseas sources for the product. 

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