FDA Confirms Celery Listeria in Texas
A celery Listeria outbreak that has killed at least four people in Texas is linked to contaminated celery processed at the Sangar Produce and Processing Co. plant in San Antonio.
The initial celery Listeria connection was made by the Texas Department of State Health and refuted by the company. Now separate testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed what state officials found. FDA said in a statement it found Listeria bacteria not only on celery but in several places in the building, including work surfaces, after a visit Oct. 14 and 15. The strain of Listeria was genetically matched to people sickened in the outbreak over a 10-month period, the FDA statement said..jpg)
A state health official told the San Antonio Express that tests now have conclusively linked seven of the 10 infections in the 2010 outbreak to the company's celery, one more than when the plant was shut down in late October. There have been at least four celery Listeria deaths in this outbreak. The plant was closed by state officials and can't reopen without permission
. An FDA report also released Wednesday included 18 observations from inspectors, including failure to take necessary precautions to protect against contamination of food and food contact surfaces; improper temperatures, failure to store raw materials in a way that protects against contamination; failure to take apart equipment as necessary to ensure thorough cleaning; and failure to take effective measures to protect finished food from contamination by raw materials and refuse.
Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the outbreak and providing claims assistance to victims. Our firm has won millions for Listeriosis victims, including $6,000,000 for wrongful death claims filed by three families. Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker, lead attorney for our Listeria lawsuits, at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and Mr. Pritzker is a recognized leader in this area of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.
