Sprout Salmonella and E. coli Outbreaks Averted by Shutdown of MD Processor
The production of bean sprouts without adequate sanitation poses a significant public health risk because of the pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Escherichia coli, better known as E. coli.
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Those food poisoning concerns prompted the Food and Drug Administration this month to shut down a sprout processor in Mount Airy, Maryland, until the owners empty the place and start over with a hired sanitation expert. Vegi-Pak Farm LLC and its president, Sun Ja Lee, and general manager, Brian W. Lee, signed a consent decree that triggered the closing, the FDA said in a press release.
Vegi-Pak Farm grows, processes, packages and distributes ready-to-eat soybean sprouts and holds and distributes tofu and mung bean spouts. The products are sold to markets in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The operation has been in trouble before with state and federal regulators for insanitary conditions.
Violations found during FDA’s September 2010 inspection of the facility included the presence of numerous flies, inadequate removal of waste, inadequate conveyance of liquid waste; inadequate screening against pests; inadequate cleaning and sanitizing of processing equipment; inadequate hand washing facilities and poor employee sanitation practices. Inspections conducted by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in August 2010 and in April and July 2008, found similar conditions at Vegi-Pak Farm, the FDA said.
E. coli sprout outbreaks and Salmonella sprout outbreaks happen in the U.S. with sporadic regularity. These are serious foodborne illnesses that can result in long-term health conditions, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in E. coli victims and Reiter's Syndrome, or reactive arthritis, in Samonella victims.
If you or a loved one has been sickened as part of an E. coli sprouts outbreak or Salmonella sprouts outbreak, contact a food poisoning lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form. An attorney from our firm will provide a free case consultation and answer any questions you might have about a sprouts lawsuit.
