Archive for October, 2008
According to Los Angeles public health officials, meals prepared by Volunteers of America, Greater Los Angeles, for local pre-school programs, have been linked to at least 32 confirmed cases of Salmonella food poisoning.
Many of the food poisoning victims are pre-schoolers attending Head Start programs in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. At least ten children and 5 adults have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak.
The first reported case occurred at the Maude Booth Family Center, 11243 Kittridge St, North Hollywood, on October 15, followed by a second case at an unidentified Volunteers of America run school two days later.
Public health officials are still trying to determine the source of the illnesses.
Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain.
For more information, please see Salmonella Symptoms at foodpoisoning.com, or visit the pages of this blog. Both sites are sponsored by the Law Firm of Eric Weinberg and provide up-to-date information regarding food poisoning outbreaks and food recalls.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg represents individuals who have been sickened in Salmonella outbreaks nationwide. If you have a question concerning you legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274, or see Free Case Evaluation. To learn more about our law firm, please see Food Poisoning Lawyer.
For recent outbreak and food recall news, please see Salmonella Outbreak Ohio and Minnesota, Listeria Bacon Bit Recall, and Listeria Burrito Recall.
October 28th, 2008
After three closings and two Salmonella outbreaks since early this summer, the Amarillo International House of Pancakes (IHOP) reopened last Tuesday. The Amarillo Environmental Health Department linked 25 cases of Salmonella food poisoning to the outbreak in September and more than 100 cases to the outbreak in June.
Amarillo health officials believe that the outbreak was caused by a Salmonella contaminated water bath that was used to warm pitchers of syrup before they were placed on tables for customer use. The contaminated water, remaining on the outside of the pitchers, then led to the infection of IHOP patrons and employees.
Since closing nearly five weeks ago, the restaurant has eliminated the water bath, and undergone a complete sanitization. Amarillo Health officials also required that two private independent labs confirm that restaurant surfaces were Salmonella free, along with 14 other food safety measures.
To learn more about Salmonella food poisoning, please see Salmonella Symptoms, or visit our additional website www.foodpoisoning.com.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents individuals who have been sickened in Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. If you have a question concerning your legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274, or see Free Legal Case Evaluation. To learn more about our legal practice, please see Food Poisoning Attorney.
For recent outbreak and food recall news, please see Salmonella Outbreak Ohio and Minnesota, Listeria Bacon Bit Recall, and Listeria Burrito Recall.
October 28th, 2008
Hartz Mountain Corp, located in Secaucus, NJ, has placed 4,850 two-pound bags of Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips on recall, because it may be contaminated with the foodborne pathogen Salmonella.
A spokesman for the company stated that bags of Hartz Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips, with lot code JC23282 and UPC number 3270096463, are subject to the recall. The product was distributed to Wal-Mart.
Salmonella is a pathogenic bacterium that can present serious symptoms in both humans and dogs. People can become infected with Salmonella by handling the contaminated rawhide chips, or by cleaning up after a sick pet.
In humans, symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (possibly bloody), fever, and vomiting. Rarer, but more serious complications include arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s inner layer), arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.
In pets, symptoms may include lethargic behavior, diarrhea (possibly bloody), fever, and vomiting. Other pets may only show symptoms of decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Furthermore, infected animals may show no visible symptoms, and serve as carriers who can potentially infect humans or other pets.
If you, a family member, or your pet has had contact with Hartz Mountain Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips, and has experienced any of these symptoms, it is important to seek appropriate medical attention through your healthcare provider or your pet’s veterinarian.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents individuals who have been sickened in Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. If you have a question concerning your legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274, or see Free Legal Case Evaluation. To learn more about our legal practice, please see Salmonella Lawyer.
For recent outbreak and food recall news, please see Salmonella Outbreak Ohio and Minnesota, Listeria Bacon Bit Recall, and Listeria Burrito Recall.
October 22nd, 2008
Wisconsin state health officials issued a news release yesterday, reminding residents to thoroughly cook raw chicken products after four Wisconsin residents contracted Salmonella food poisoning. The four individuals were part of a 12 state Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 32 people. Please see Looks Cooked But Really Raw and USDA Issues Health Alert.
The four cases of Salmonella food poisoning were reported in the following Wisconsin counties: Milwaukee County (1), Ozaukee County (1), and Washington County (2).
The culprits in this multistate Salmonella outbreak are Milford Valley Farms’ raw, frozen, stuffed chicken cordon blue and chicken kiev which have been breaded and pre-browned, giving the products the appearance of having been precooked. Recent reports indicate that the product was also marketed under the brand names Kirkwood and Dutch Farms.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services advises consumers of the following:
Consumers should cook these products in a conventional oven following package instructions, and use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165°F before consuming. The products should not be cooked in a microwave oven.
To learn more about Salmonella food poisoning, please see Salmonella Symptoms, or visit out additional website http://www.foodpoisoning.com/.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents individuals who have been sickened in Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. If you have a question concerning your legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274, or see Free Legal Case Evaluation. To learn more about our legal practice, please see Food Poisoning Lawyer.
October 14th, 2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert after learning that an in investigation conducted by Minnesota health officials uncovered a link between Milford Valley Farms frozen chicken cordon blue and frozen chicken kiev and 32 cases of Salmonella food poisoning in Minnesota and 11 other states.
Although many of the stuffed chicken products are reported to be labeled “uncooked”, the breaded entrees are pre-browned thus allowing the raw meat to appear “cooked” to consumers. In fact this is the 6th Salmonella outbreak in the state of Minnesota in the past 10 years linked to this type of product. The average consumer may not know this, but the food industry surely does!
This type of outbreak can go on for some time, because the foodborne pathogen Salmonella is not considered an adulterant in raw poultry, and therefore no recall is required according to federal guidelines.
With no ability to recall the contaminated product, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides consumers with this advice:
FSIS is reminding consumers of the critical importance of following package cooking instructions for frozen, stuffed raw chicken products and general food safety guidelines when handling and preparing any raw meat or poultry. It is especially important to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of these chicken products such that all points of measurement are at least 165° F.
All poultry products should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165° F as determined by a food thermometer. Using a food thermometer is the only way to know that food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.
Frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products covered by this alert and similar products, may be stuffed or filled, breaded or browned and therefore appear to be cooked. These items may be labeled “chicken cordon bleu,” “chicken kiev” or chicken breast stuffed with cheese, vegetables or other items.
To learn more about Salmonella food poisoning, please Salmonella Symptoms.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents individuals who have been sickened in Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. If you have a question concerning your legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274, or see Free Legal Case Evaluation. To learn more about our legal practice, please see Food Poisoning Attorney.
For information on recent food poisoning outbreaks, food recalls, and other useful news - please see Milford Farms Chicken Salmonella, Michigan E. coli Outbreak, Life Care Dialysis Center Closes, and E. coli Illinois Lettuce.
October 5th, 2008
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