Charges Filed Against California Firm That Shipped Potentially-Tainted Sesame Seeds
According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, the City of Los Angeles filed misdemeanor charges against Woodhouse Commodities, Inc., a Woodland Hills company, accusing the company of shipping 4,000 bags of sesame seeds that may have been contaminated with Salmonella bacteria to Las Vegas. The companies president, Oded Kenan, faces up to two years in jail, and the company faces up to $2,000 in penalties. $2000 in penalties would be a slap on the wrist for a company that endangered the health and lives of so many people--those little sesame seeds in the 4,000 bags were probably consumed by thousands of people.According to the Los Angeles Times story written by David Zahniser:
The seeds originated in India and arrived at the Port of Los Angeles last November. They were among 840 50-pound bags that were randomly selected for testing by the FDA. Despite a hold on the products, Woodhouse accidentally transported the bags to a distributor, according to Delgadillo.Reference: David Zahniser, Woodland Hills firm accused of shipping Salmonella-tainted seeds to Vegas, Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2007.
The remaining bags tested positive for salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within 72 hours of consumption. Salmonella is typically found in food contaminated with animal feces, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention.
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