Archive for April, 2009
Although contaminated pudding was at the heart of a Salmonella outbreak that sickened students attending an environmental camp in Madison, NH, public health officials announced that a mixer, used to make the pudding for campers, may have been responsible for spreading the dangerous foodboorne bacterium.
According to officials, a possible defect in the mixer may have allowed Salmonella bacteria to survive in an area of the mixer that could not be sanitized properly. The mixer was also used to prepare scrambled eggs, a food well known to harbor Salmonella.
This is not the first time that food preparation equipment was responsible for a food poisoning outbreak. Our law firm has settled dozens of claims for people who were sickened in an Arby’s Salmonella Outbreak linked to a defective meat slicer that could not properly be sanitized. The Arby’s Salmonella outbreak lasted for almost 3 months before health officials determined that the meat slicer was contaminating food on a daily basis.
All of those sickened in the outbreak attended Stone Environmental Camp, at Purity Springs Resort, NH, earlier this month. Woodbury Middle School students and staff were the first outbreak victims, some experiencing food poisoning symptoms while still at camp. The following week, campers from two other schools became ill, prompting health officials to close the camp until the investigation could be completed.
While 15 cases were culture confirmed for Salmonella, more than 120 students and adults reported gastrointestinal symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg currently represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. We are ready to help you. If you have been diagnosed with Salmonella, are awaiting medical confirmation of infection, or have a question regarding your legal rights, please submit a Free Legal Case Evaluation, or call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274.
To learn more about the Arby’s Salmonella Outbreak, please see Lawyers File Salmonella Lawsuit. To learn more about the Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg, please visit our additional website www.foodpoisoning.com. Please click Salmonella Lawyer or Salmonella Lawyers to learn about recent Salmonella Food Poisoning Outbreaks.
April 30th, 2009
The FDA and CDC have recommended that consumers not eat raw alfalfa sprouts, and sprout blends containing alfalfa sprouts, because the products may be linked to a Salmonella serotype Saintpaul outbreak.
Public health officials have confirmed 31 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul infection in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia. Most of the Salmonella food poisoning victims reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts. The suspect sprouts were consumed at restaurants and after being purchased at retail stores.
Since the investigation is ongoing, the number of victims and states involved will likely increase.
According to the FDA, these latest illnesses may be part of a Salmonella outbreak, also linked to alfalfa sprouts that occurred in February and March, 2009, in the Midwestern states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota. The strain of Salmonella Saintpaul in both outbreaks is identical.
Since the contaminated sprouts can be traced to multiple sprout growers in multiple states, public health officials suspect that the seeds used to grow the sprouts, may have been contaminated.
In addition, multiple growers may have failed to follow FDA Sprout Guidance, which recommends seed disinfection prior to seed germination for the production of sprouts; and testing of the wash water for each batch of sprouts for the presence of Salmonella and E. coli.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain. Symptoms usually appear within 12-72 hours after the ingestion of contaminated food. To learn more, please see Salmonella Food Poisoning and Salmonella Symptoms.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg represents victims of Salmonella outbreaks including Arby’s, Veggie Booty, Peter Pan, and Peanut Corporation of America. If you are diagnosed with Salmonella, are awaiting medical confirmation of infection, or have a question regarding your legal rights, please submit a Free Legal Case Evaluation, or call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274.
To learn more about recent food poisoning outbreaks and food recalls, please see Salmonella Lawyer and Food Poisoning Lawyer.
April 27th, 2009
New Hampshire public health officials are investigating a Salmonella outbeak that has sickened more than 54 Salem students . All of the students attend Woodbury Middle School, and had attended a four-day trip to Stone Environmental Camp in Madison last week.
The children experienced symptoms which included vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever. There are also reports that 2 of those who became ill were hospitalized.
Although a link between the camp and sickened students has not been established, station WMUR-TV reported that approximately 10 or more students became ill on Wednesday evening while attending the camp.
Jarret Bencks for the Eagle Tribune On Line, reported that the diagnosis of Salmonella infection was confirmed by stool culture, and that state health officials are interviewing the students who became infected as part of the investigation. Health officials are also inspecting the school, and interviewing workers.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain. Symptoms usually appear within 12-72 hours after the ingestion of contaminated food. Please see Salmonella and Salmonella Symptoms for more information.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg currently represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. We are ready to help you. If you have been diagnosed with Salmonella, are awaiting medical confirmation of infection, or have a question regarding your legal rights, please submit a Free Legal Case Evaluation, or call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274.
To learn more about food poisoning and the Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg, please visit our additional website www.foodpoisoning.com.
April 21st, 2009
Proof of Contamination - Following an inspection of the California pistachio plant owned by Setton Pistachio, the FDA has discovered the presence of Salmonella serotype Montevideo in three environmental samples and a sample taken from a finished pistachio product.
Pistachios May be Linked to Illnesses - The CDC reports that bacterial DNA fingerprints of the Salmonella stains linked to pistachio products matches the DNA fingerprints of Salmonella strains isolated from individuals who were recently diagnosed with Salmonella infections. This particular strain of Salmonella has been isolated from the stool of a child who had eaten Setton pistachios prior to becoming ill with food poisoning symptoms.
The Investigation Continues - According to the CDC, the number of infections caused by these strains is not above the baseline number of infections expected in the United States; and some of the strains responsible for the human infections, have been associated with other foods (in other words, it’s a common strain). The CDC, and state and local health department investigators will interview individuals sickened by the same Salmonella strain(s) to determine if they were exposed to Setton pistachios prior to their illness.
Pistachio Recall Expanded - Setton Pistachio has expanded its recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios and roasted shelled pistachios that were produced from nuts harvested in 2008. The firm is also recalling those raw shelled pistachios from the 2008 crop that are not subsequently roasted prior to retail sale. For a complete list of recalled pistachios and pistachio products please see FDA Recalls.
Salmonella Symptoms - Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain. Symptoms usually appear within 12-72 hours after the ingestion of contaminated food. Please see Salmonella and Salmonella Symptoms for more information.
What you can do - If you are experiencing Salmonella food poisoning symptoms, contact your healthcare professional. He or she can order a stool culture to confirm Salmonella infection.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. We are ready to help you. If you are diagnosed with Salmonella, are awaiting medical confirmation of infection, or have a question regarding your legal rights, please submit a Free Legal Case Evaluation, or call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274.
To learn more about food poisoning and the Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg, please click Salmonella Pistachio Lawyer.
April 16th, 2009
