Minnesota Organic Egg Salmonella Cases
Minnesota is investigating a seventh case of Salmonella Enteritidis that may be linked to organic eggs from free range chickens at Larry Schultz Organic Farm in Owatonna, Minnesota.
The Minnesota departments of health and agriculture jointly announced late last week that three people were hospitalized and three others were sick enough to see a doctor and test positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella. An investigation linked the illnesses to the same producer and a recall ensued for Larry Schultz Organic Farm, Lunds & Byerly’s, and Kowalski’s organic eggs. The recalled eggs (click for details) were distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, food wholesalers and foodservice companies in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Phyllis Entis, aka the Food Bug Lady, reports that now a seventh case is under investigation. She quotes Trisha Robinson, Senior Epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. The FDA told Phyllis that Larry Schultz Organic Farm is a small producer, with fewer than 3,000 laying hens, and therefore is is not subject to the FDA’s Egg Safety Rule and, therefore, was not on the FDA’s inspection schedule.
Just because a farm is labeled "organic'' or the laying hens are "free range,'' doesn't mean they are living in an environment free of Salmonella or other human pathogens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that for every confirmed case of Salmonella during an outbreak, many other people are usually sickened by the same bug but haven't seen a doctor who ordered a stool sample that would allow them to be detected as an outbreak victim. If you or a loved one believe you have developed a Salmonella infection after eating organic eggs from the Larry Schultz farm, see your health care provider immediately.
For answers to legal questions about submitting a claim for compensation, contact an attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a Minnesota-based law firm that is recognized around the country as a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation. Free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by leaving your contact information.
Our firm has collected millions of dollars for victims of Salmonella poisoning and is actively involved in multiple efforts to prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness. Numerous clients have testified before Congress about the importance of keeping our food supply free of potentially deadly organisms, including Salmonella. Fred Pritzker, founder and president, is often quoted in media reports on outbreaks and was recently featured in a story by the Christian Science Monitor.
