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

Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo is recalling 40,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products subject to recall include:

• 40-lb boxes containing four 10-lb chubs of fine ground beef.
Each case bears “Est. 7282” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a production code of 19110.

The frozen product was produced on Sept. 9, 2011, and shipped to two Georgia warehouses for further distribution including six school districts in Georgia associated with the National School Lunch Program. Most of the beef was not distributed and remains at the the warehouses. FSIS is not aware of any product having been served as part of school lunches in the districts. No illnesses have been reported.

Palo Duro discovered the problem when by lab tests confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7 on September 22 and issued the recall the next day. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. Those most at risk of infection are the very young, seniors and people with weakened immune systems.

Ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill harmful bacteria. The only way to confirm that ground beef has been cooked properly is to use a food thermometer.

Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_075_2011_Release/index.asp 

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The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak has widened its reach into Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, according to reports from state health departments.

Nebraska health officials reported on September 23, that a man in his eighties from western Nebraska was the state’s first fatality of the outbreak which began in mid-August. “Analysis shows that the strains of Listeria that are being investigated in Colorado match the one identified with this individual,” said Dr. Joann Schaefer, Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Division of Public Health in a press release. Including this death Nebraska now has six confirmed cases of listeriosis associated with this outbreak.

New Mexico health officials are reporting 10 cases of listeriosis confirmed as part of the outbreak, four of whom have died. Three additional cases are under investigation, one of those people has died.

In Texas, a third person from Dallas County was diagnosed with listeriosis linked to the outbreak, according to a KERA television report.

Colorado cases confirmed as part of the outbreak increased from 14 to 15 this week, according to the Denver Post. Two people from Colorado have died.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday that tainted cantaloupes were shipped to more states than originally thought. States that received shipments of potentially tainted cantaloupe from July 29 through September 10, 2011 include: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Sources:
http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/newsroom/newsreleases/2011/Sept/listeria2.htm

http://www.health.state.nm.us/

http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2011/09222011a.htm
 

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Over the last four decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has never had a documented listeriosis outbreak linked to cantaloupe, until now. The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak which began in Colorado and has spread to Texas and Nebraska, may be the first of its kind.

Researchers who reviewed all 28 cantaloupe-associated outbreaks that were reported to the CDC between 1973 and 2003 found that four pathogens were responsible for all of them: Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. Coli and Norovirus, according to a 2005 study published by researchers at the CDC and the University of Georgia. The same is true for eight of the nine cantaloupe-associated outbreaks since 2003. Only the current outbreak is related to Listeria.

“Compared with most other foodborne pathogens, listeriosis is rare and very dangerous. In the United States, an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 260 die,” said Fred Pritzker, a nationally recognized Listeria lawyer.

Listeriosis is a rare, potentially fatal infection caused by the foodborne pathogen Listeria. At particulcar risk are the elderly, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, who are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults.

The foods most often cited as potential risks are: uncooked meats or vegetables, smoked fish, hot dogs, deli meats, meat spreads, pates and unpasteurized soft cheeses. 

Onset of symptoms for the more mild form of listeriosis usually begin within a day after eating contaminated food. But the incubation period for the more serious form of the disease is generally much longer - up to 90 days after exposure

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions. These symptoms can be followed by septicemia (blood poisoning) or meningitis, both of which can be fatal. For pregnant women, listeriosis can result in miscarriage, stillbirth or the birth of a baby with serious illness.

The Listeria experts at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. have been involved in every major Listeria outbreak in the country. If you have legal questions about a listeriosis illness, contact them toll-free at (888-377-8900).

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A cantaloupe Listeria outbreak like the one now spreading through Colorado, Nebraska and Texas, is uncommon but not surprising, according to foodborne illness expert Fred Pritzker.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria found in soil and water. Listeriosis outbreaks often involve ready-to eat meats, deli meats, hot dogs, unpasteurized soft cheeses, and smoked seafood. However, fresh, uncooked produce can also be a source.

“The pathogen has been detected in a number of fresh market produce items including cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, celery and radishes among others. Moreover, cantaloupes have repeatedly been implicated in outbreaks involving Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Norovirus,” said Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen P.A.

The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak currently includes nine confirmed cases in Colorado, two in Texas and one in Nebraska. State, federal and local public health investigators are working to investigate the specific source of the outbreak, according to a press release issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The law firm of PritzkerOlsen, P.A., which has been involved in every major Listeria outbreak in the United States, is also investigating the outbreak. If you need legal advice regarding this Listeria outbreak, contact the law firm of Pritzker Olsen, P.A. for a free consultation or call toll-free at (888)-377-8900.

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Colorado’s Listeria outbreak is likely being caused by cantaloupe and the outbreak now potentially includes two cases in Texas and one in Nebraska, according to Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

While Colorado public health officials have reported 13 confirmed cases of listeriosis, just nine of those are definitely linked to the multi-state outbreak, officials are saying. The remaining four cases either have lab results pending or are not linked. Two people have died and one of those Listeria deaths is linked to the outbreak.  

Confirmed Listeria cases in Colorado are in the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld. The people range in age from 30s to 90s. The average age is 84.  The majority are female. 

All nine of Colorado’s case patients consumed cantaloupe, the state agency said in a press release. A specific source of the contaminated product has not yet been identified. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is coordinating the multistate investigation, which includes three state health departments, the FDA and the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service.

“While the investigation into the source of the Listeria outbreak is continuing, it is prudent for people who are at high risk for Listeria infection to avoid consumption of cantaloupe,” said Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer of the Colorado health department.

Those at highest risk are pregnant women, young children, people over 60 and anyone with a compromised immune system.

Listeria lawyer Fred Pritzer, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, P. A., has extensive experience representing outbreak victims and has filed numerous Listeria lawsuits, once winning a $6,000,000 settlement on a very difficult case. For a free consultation with a listeriosis attorney, please contact Fred at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete this free case consultation form.

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Federal food safety agencies are striving to assemble a retail distribution list to accompany Cargill's recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey products after the meat was linked to a 26-state outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg.

Texas, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois are the hardest hit states in terms of turkey Salmonella victims -- accounting for nearly half of the 79 illnesses. The outbreak has, so far, resulted in one death -- a man who lived in California.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the massive recall, saying that the link between Cargill ground turkey products and the Salmonella outbreak was based on epidemiology, traceback investigations and "in-plant findings'' at Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. of Springdale, Arkansas.

The notice from FSIS said it is continuing to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), affected state public health partners and the company on the investigation. No other details of the probe were released. 

The detailed recall includes a variety of bulk ground turkey sold in chubs and trays as well as patties. The recalled turkey burger contains various levels of fat content. Some packages were unbranded while some carried  brand names like Honeysuckle White, Spartan, Shady Brook Farms, Kroger and Safeway.

The one thing all the products have in common is that they bear the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

If you or a loved one was hospitalized or otherwise sickened in this outbreak, contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit contact information for a free case consultation. Our law firm is one of the very few in the country that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have direct experience in handling claims against Cargill, a multi-national food and commodities corporation based near our headquarters.

Eventually, USDA hopes to publish a list of retail stores where the tainted turkey products were sold. Distribution was nationwide, USDA has said.

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 A commercial meat market in San Antonio, Texas, is recalling 4,000 pound of beef cuts that could be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The recalled meat from Culebra Meat Market was distributed earlier this month to restaurants around San Antonio and to at least one of the company's retail stores. The Texas Department of Health Services said the products included in the recall are beef stew meat, carne asada and ground beef. The production date was Oct. 2.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, as far as officials know.

A news release from the state health authority said the products sold to consumers at the company's retail store were packaged in various weights and wrapped in white butcher paper with no markings. Products sold to restaurants were packed in 10-pound boxes labeled with the company and product names and lot codes 100209 through 101709. The boxes have the inspection label “TEXAS INSP. & PSD. 740”.

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