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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its last public update on the Hannaford Supermarket ground beef Salmonella outbreak without being able to say who supplied contaminated meat to the grocery chain for the purpose of making hamburger.

The so-called Final Investigation Update didn't even mention the agency's earlier-stated frustration over incomplete record-keeping at Hannaford in in terms of being able to tell which meatpackers supplied the beef that went into the retail chain's grinder. Without accurate grinding logs, there would be no traceback -- a process that could have potentially prevented other contaminated beef from reaching the food chain.

A total of 20 people were infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium in seven states. The outbreak started in October and is now considered over, although there is still a warning to consumers that they check their freezers for Hannaford ground beef that was recalled. The number of victims were as follows: Hawaii (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (1), Maine (4), New Hampshire (6), New York (6), and Vermont (1).

The outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium was resistant to several commonly prescribed antibiotics, which may have caused an increase in the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected patients. Nearly half of those who suffered infection in this outbreak were hospitalized, but there were no deaths.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is continuing to accept cases for a possible Hannaford Salmonella lawsuit. Our firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we are involved in practically all major outbreaks of food poisoning representing people who were harmed. Hiring a good foodborne illness attorney is important because the laws are complex and the size of claims rests on the level of experienced representation behind you and your family.

Contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900.

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An evidence breakthrough in the Hannaford ground beef Salmonella outbreak shows that two separate samples of leftover ground beef tested positive for the outbreak strain after they were collected from unrelated ill persons' homes in Maine and New York.

In an official update on the Hannaford food poisoning investigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 19 people in seven states have been diagnosed with infections from the same strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. The pathogen has proven to be resistant to several antibiotics.

When the outbreak was detected in mid-December, Hannaford issued a recall of an undetermined amount of ground beef sold through its supermarkets in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. Health officials are actively concerned more people will become sick if they stored contaminated meat in their home freezers and are unaware of the recall. See complete details of the Hannaford hamburger recall for information on what packages to avoid.

Salmonella attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating the outbreak  and accepting cases from injured individuals and families. Our law firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have recovered millions for victims. A good Salmonella lawyer will hold the responsible parties accountable and earn complete recoveries for medical bills, lost income, child care, transportation and pain and suffering. We currently represent Salmonella outbreak victims and provide free case consultations at 1-888-377-8900.

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 At least two more people have been infected with Salmonella Typhimurium in the outbreak associated with recalled Hannaford ground beef sold in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the outbreak and will provide free case consultations to individuals or families who have been hospitalized or suffered gastrointestinal illness caused by the outbreak strain of Salmonella. Our law firm is one of the very few in the United States practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning.

Eighteen people in at least seven states have been stricken by the pathogen linked to Hannaford hamburger and health officials continue to urge consumers to check their freezers for packages covered by the recall. The various ground beef packages bear sell-by dates of December. 17, 2011, or earlier. Hannaford store brand meat, Nature's Place ground beef and Taste of Inspirations Angus ground beef are all part of the recall. See complete details of the Hannaford hamburger recall. 

Some of those sickened in the outbreak ate food made with Salmonella-contaminated beef at a Hannaford store. If the store had adequately cooked the beef, no one would have become ill.  In cases like this, we have pursued claims of negligence, but ground beef litigation against Hannaford will also cover people sickened by packaged ground beef used at home.

One of the issues in this outbreak is the USDA's inability so far to identify the supplier of contaminated beef, which may have been sold to other retailers. Many retail chains grind their own hamburger from cuts and trim they obtain from various suppliers and Hannaford's grinding records are limited, impeding the traceback investigation, the USDA has said.

Sources include: The Portland Press Herald

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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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The Northeast Salmonella outbreak associated with Hannaford supermarket ground beef has raised an old issue with federal meat investigators. The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) notes in its five-state Hannaford recall notice that the probe of where the problem started has been impeded by "limited'' meat grinding records at Hannaford.

Retailers are not currently required to maintain detailed grinding logs that would show what beef cuts and trim go into each batch of store-made hamburger. The Hannaford Salmonella recall notice makes a reference to the issue and notes that FSIS is "pursuing rulemaking to address the concern.''  Detailed logs stating the identities of raw beef suppliers are needed for tracebacks to the original source of contamination to stop recurring outbreaks and expand recalls to protect as many consumers as possible.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys supports the additional regulation and is currently investigating the Hannaford outbreak in Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and New York. At least seven people have been hospitalized and seven more have confirmed illnesses all caused by infections of Salmonella Typhimurium, a bacteria that is resistant to some types of antibiotics. If you or a loved one has been injured in this outbreak, call an experienced foodborne illness lawyer who understands the complexities of infectious disease and who is liable for them when the agent of illness is ground beef sold by a multi-state supermarket chain.

Contact  a Pritzker Salmonella lawyer for a free case consultation at  1-888-377-8900. You owe us nothing until we win your case. 

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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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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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Goya Zapote, or frozen mamey fruit pulp, has been associated with a Typhoid Fever outbreak in California and Nevada.

This Goya mamey fruta pulp, also known as Sapote, is commonly used to make batido or licuado (milkshake or smoothie).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four confirmed cases of Typhoid Fever in Clark County, Nevada, carry the same matching strain of Salmonella Typhi as do three confirmed cases and two suspected cases in California.

Until further notice, the CDC is advising consumers not to drink or eat Goya brand frozen mamey fruit pulp, or zapote. Goya announced a recall of its 14-ounce packages of frozen mamey fruta pulp one day before the CDC published its typhoid fever outbreak investigation.

 Goya said its Mamey Pulp was distributed in the states of AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, and WA through retail stores. The product comes in a 14 ounce plastic package and is not marked with a lot number or expiration date. The UPC is 041331090803. 

Abogados at  Pritzker Olsen law firm are conducting their own investigation of this Zapote Typhoid Fever outbreak and they are preparing a possible Zapote lawsuit on behalf of victims. To contact the firm for a free case consultation, call 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 USA practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions for our clients.

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Salmonella Typhi is the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. The investigation by CDC and state public health officials in California and Nevada has found four confirmed cases in Clark County, Nevada, three confirmed illnesses in California and two additional California cases listed as "probable.''

Mamey, also called “zapote” or “sapote,” is a tropical fruit grown primarily in Central and South America. Five of the seven Typhoid Fever patients interviewed by investigators reported consuming frozen mamey fruit pulp in a milkshake or smoothie, also called a “batido” or “licuado.”

Upon further investigation, it was found that 4  of 5 ill persons consumed Goya brand frozen mamey fruit pulp, the CDC reported. "These results suggest that eating frozen mamey fruit pulp is a likely source of these illnesses,'' the agency said.

One day prior to the outbreak announcement from CDC, Goya Foods Inc. of Seacaucus, New Jersey, recalled its 14 ounce packages of Frozen Mamey Pulp, due to a potential health risk from Salmonella.

The recalled Goya brand Mamey Pulp was distributed in the states of AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, and WA through retail stores. The product comes in a 14 ounce plastic package and is not marked with a lot number or expiration date. The UPC is 041331090803.

If you or a loved one has been sickened in this zapote outbreak, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning and our firm has a record of winning Salmonella lawsuits and other food poisoning lawsuits.

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