Archive for February, 2007
According to a CDC announcement, as of February 27 at 12 p.m., 370 people have been identified as suffering from food poisoning from Salmonella Tennessee linked with the peanut butter outbreak. Sixty so far are known to have been hospitalized as a result.
The 370 cases come from 42 different states and represent individuals who became ill anywhere from August 1, 2006, through February 16, 2007, with the majority falling ill after December 1, 2006.
Meanwhile, the FDA has concurred with the CDC that Peter Pan and Great Value brands of jarred peanut butter with product codes that start with “2111” are the source of the Salmonella. The FDA also has said that this is an “ongoing” outbreak because the peanut butter is still in stores and in consumers’ homes.
Below is the breakdown of Salmonella cases by state: Alaska – 1, Alabama – 10, Arkansas – 3, Arizona – 5, California – 4, Colorado – 11, Connecticut – 2, Florida – 4, Georgia – 18, Iowa – 7, Illinois – 9, Indiana – 15, Kansas – 9, Kentucky – 10, Massachusetts – 6, Maryland – 2, Maine – 1, Michigan – 9, Minnesota – 5, Missouri – 17, Mississippi – 5, Montana – 2, Nebraska – 2, Nevada – 1, New Jersey – 6, New Mexico – 1, New York – 41, North Carolina –22, North Dakota – 1, Ohio – 9, Oklahoma – 11, Oregon – 2, Pennsylvania – 27, South Carolina – 8, South Dakota – 6, Tennessee – 18, Texas – 16, Virginia – 23, Vermont – 7, Washington – 4, Wisconsin – 6, and West Virginia – 4.
February 28th, 2007
Approximately 2560 cartons of cantaloupes, which may be infected with Salmonella, have been recalled by Castle Produce, a wholesale fruit and vegetable importer. The cantaloupes came from Costa Rica, and have been recalled in California.
FDA testing showed the presence of Salmonella in cantaloupes that were delivered on February 16, 2007, or after that date to wholesalers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The cantaloupes were meant for distribution in the western portion of the country.
The cartons in question contained 9, 12 or 15 cantaloupes and were made of natural brown cardboard with “Tropifresh de Costa Rica” printed in green and orange lettering on them.
Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain.
Anyone who has become ill after consuming these cantaloupes should contact a healthcare professional immediately and inform local and state health officials as well.
For more information about Salmonella food poisoning, visit the pages of this website About Salmonella and Salmonella Symptoms and Complications. To learn more about the Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg, please click Personal Injury Lawyer.
February 26th, 2007
Atlanta, Georgia, February 22, 2007 – A team of attorneys, already working on other Salmonella food poisoning cases in Georgia, today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client who became ill after eating peanut butter.
The client, Billy Duren of Homer, Georgia, required medical treatment and hospitalization after he experienced extreme nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain as a result of eating Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.
The suit was filed against ConAgra Foods, Inc., the manufacturer of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter that has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak that has affected people in 39 states. All of the peanut butter in question was produced at ConAgra’s factory in Sylvester, Georgia, which is under investigation by the FDA.
Attorneys from the firms Childers, Buck & Schlueter, LLP, of Atlanta, Georgia, and the Law Offices of Eric H. Weinberg, of New Brunswick, NJ, are collaborating in an effort to provide quality representation to individuals who have been harmed by exposure to the contaminated peanut butter. Mr. Weinberg is Of Counsel to the firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, with offices in Philadelphia, PA, and Red Bank, NJ.
This same team of attorneys has recent experience filing lawsuits on behalf of victims of Salmonella food poisoning in an unrelated case. They represent a large number of individuals who became ill after eating at a fast food chain restaurant in Valdosta, Georgia. The team filed the first case in this foodborne illness outbreak in mid-January, and expects to file dozens more.
Mr. Weinberg and Mr. Childers have been contacted by injured parties and other attorneys from all over the country about the peanut butter salmonella outbreak, Mr. Weinberg said.
“We are carefully reviewing each inquiry to determine if we can assist people who believe they have suffered harm from this product,” he explained.
Mr. Weinberg has longstanding experience in the prosecution of class action and mass tort litigation involving Food and Drug Law. As a Visiting Lecturer at Rutgers University, he has taught about FDA-related litigation for several years.
Mr. Weinberg recently created the website, FoodPoisoning.com, and the blog, SalmonellaLawsuit.com, to provide consumers with much-needed information. The food poisoning site covers the wide range of foodborne pathogens and the illnesses they cause, as well as related outbreaks and recalls, while the blog focuses specifically on Salmonella, much in the news over the past few months.
Andrew Childers is a partner at Childers, Buck & Schlueter. The firm has represented thousands of clients in complex litigation involving defective products and has gained a national reputation. Mr. Childers will be speaking about food product litigation at an upcoming national conference, and is a frequent guest lecturer for graduate level courses at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University on the topic of litigation related to public health policy, including foodborne illness litigation.
Chris Placitella, of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, is nationally recognized for his litigation and resolution expertise in many significant mass tort cases. He is a leader in the plaintiff’s bar and the author of numerous papers on complex litigation. Mr. Placitella has served as Lead Counsel in major litigation matters, and has developed LegalView, an internet site providing up to date information for consumers.
This team of attorneys has successfully resolved national cases with global corporations and has obtained over a billion dollars in settlements in the past decade.
“In the case of the latest Salmonella outbreak, we plan on moving forward in a careful and thorough fashion,” Mr. Childers explained. “We will use all of the resources of the civil justice system to try to answer the questions raised by this recall and the people who have been affected by it.”
In addition to analyzing the cases of individuals who have contacted them, Mr. Weinberg explained that his team has adopted a strategy based on identifying the chain of events leading up to the contamination of the peanut butter and working within the legal system to efficiently address the issues and reach a fair and sensible resolution by trial or settlement.
“ConAgra has a significant problem.” Mr. Weinberg said, “but they also have a significant opportunity to demonstrate corporate initiative and responsibility and the ability to manage crises and weather problems. We have every expectation that they will step up to the plate.”
To learn more about our involvement in food poisoning litigation, please see Arby’s Lawsuit.
For information on recent food poisoning outbreaks, please see New Jersey Food Poisoning Lawyer, and Ohio Food Poisoning Lawyer.
February 23rd, 2007
ConAgra Foods, Inc., is recalling all jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter with a product code on the lid beginning with the number 2111. The peanut butter may be linked with a Salmonella outbreak that has affected 288 people in 39 states since August of last year. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the outbreak is probably ongoing.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this would constitute the first Salmonella outbreak linked with peanut butter. All of the peanut butter in question was produced at ConAgra’s factory in Sylvester, Georgia. The FDA, which is warning people not to eat the peanut butter in question, is investigating the Georgia facility.
Of the 288 individuals who became sick, about 20% were hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths. The majority of cases have been reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri.
According to the CDC, no more than two cases had been reported each day since the outbreak began in August. The CDC was able to identify the probable source of the Salmonella only recently through an epidemiological study linking the cases. The FDA was given the report on February 13.
According to the CDC, there are about 1.4 million cases of Salmonella food poisoning in the U.S. each year, with more than 500 of those resulting in death. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to suffer severe illness.
Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain.
Anyone who has eaten Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter with the suspect product code and has experienced any of these symptoms should contact a healthcare professional immediately. In addition, the FDA recommends informing local and state health officials.
For more information about Salmonella foodborne illness, visit the pages of this blog and the website www.foodpoisoning.com.
To read the FDA news release in its entirety, go to http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01563.html.
For information concerning recent food poisoning outbreaks, please see Salmonella IHOP, E. coli Illinois Lettuce, and E. coli Michigan Lettuce.
February 15th, 2007
Salmonella serovar Typhimurium DT104, which is resistant to at least five different antibiotics and which has caused an increasing number of foodborne illnesses since 1995, might be stronger and more infectious because of its DNA.
According to Medical News Today, Dutch researcher Armand Hermans discovered new genetic information in the DNA of this strain of Salmonella when compared with another strain of the pathogen. This additional genetic information might be the reason for the strain’s improved survival and increased infection rate.
Hermans studied how the strain behaved under a number of extreme conditions, including a hot, acid- or oxygen-free environment. The pathogen’s “survival characteristics” remained active under all of the conditions imposed, however, its “pathogenic characteristics” were active under a few of the tested conditions. This indicates the strain always does what it can to survive, however, strain DT104’s pathogenic characteristics are switched on only in the intestines, where the infection actually takes place.
Salmonella serovar Typhimurium DT104 is a foodborne pathogen that is resistant to antibiotics. It is considered dangerous for humans. An increase in the number of infections caused by this strain has been observed around the world.
For more information about Salmonella food poisoning, visit the pages of this blog and the website foodpoisoning.com. To learn more about E. coli food poisoning, or giardiasis, please visit E. coli Lawsuit and Giardia Lawsuit.
February 5th, 2007
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