Welcome to the Pritzker | Ruohonen Food Safety Blog

Listeria Recall: Sweetwater Valley Farms Cheese

Sweetwater Valley Farms, Inc. ofPhiladelphia, Tennessee is recalling its Tennessee Aged Southern Mild Cheddar Cheese (yellow) and Tennessee Aged Southern Sharp Cheddar Cheese (yellow) because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.


TENNESSEE AGED SOUTHERN SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE (yellow) AND TENNESSEE AGED SOUTHERN MILD CHEDDAR CHEESE (yellow), Lot Number 604 was distributed in 7, 10, and 15 ounce bars retail stores in Tennessee and Georgia. These products were also distributed to 48 contiguous states in gift baskets marketed by the firm's website.


These products were distributed between October 18, 2007 and November 26, 2007.


No illnesses have been reported.

Read more about the Sweetwater Valley Farms Recall.

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Press Release: Attorney Fred Pritzker Calls for Food Safety Disclosure Laws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Fred Pritzker
Company Name: Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A.
Email: fhp@pritzkerlaw.com
Phone: 612-338-0202
Website: http://www.pritzkerlaw.com

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, calls for food safety disclosure laws following a recently announced recall involving 48 tons of ground beef products by American Foods Group, LLC.

Minneapolis, MN November 29, 2007 -- So far this year over 28 million pounds of beef products have been recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Most recently, American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin firm, recalled 48 tons of ground beef products.

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, believes more information about recalls and the companies involved in them should be readily available to consumers. "It is extremely difficult for the average consumer to learn anything about a company's E. coli O157:H7 track record and just as hard to find out if recalled hamburger made its way into the consumer's household (much less the mouths of his/her loved ones)," states Pritzker. "That's because the labels on most ground beef products do not disclose the identity of the company that produced it. In other words, even if a consumer wanted to avoid products from a company that consistently produced hamburger laced with E. coli O157:H7, there is no way to find out."

Pritzker continues, "There is simply no readily accessible source of information, other than digging through old press releases from the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), about a meat producer's prior safety record. Even that won't tell you how many people were sickened in prior outbreaks, the cause of the outbreaks, what corrective action, if any, was taken, and what fines or penalties were levied."

According to Pritzker, consumers do not have important information about recalls because no law requires adequate labeling and no government agency is required to produce readily accessible information that allows consumers to make informed choices.

To remedy this situation, Pritzker recommends a two-pronged approach: 1) enact a federal law requiring every meat package to identify the name of the company that produced it and the date on which it was produced and 2) have a federally-funded web site that lists data about each federally inspected producer including the company's past history of recalls, amount of product recalled, the number of people injured or killed in past foodborne illness outbreaks and other information that allows for informed consumer choice.

Fred Pritzker, is the founding partner of Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A., one of America's leading food safety law firms. He practices in Minnesota and represents survivors of foodborne illness throughout the United States. He may be reached toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or through the firm's web site at http://www.pritzkerlaw.com

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American Foods Group Beef Recall: West Virginia

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is warning consumers about a recall of ground beef products in surrounding states.

American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin, firm, has recalled approximately 95,927 pounds of various coarse and fine ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) announced Saturday.

The ground beef products subject to recall were produced on October 10, 2007, and were distributed to retail establishments and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.

“Although West Virginia was not explicitly mentioned in the recall, it is possible some of that product entered the state, given the number of states bordering ours that are included,” said Commissioner Douglass.

The problem was discovered through an investigation of two illnesses by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The following products are subject to recall:

  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "65000."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25." Each shipping label bears a product code of "65800."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 90/10." Each shipping label bears a product code of "66000."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20." Each shipping label bears a product code of "66400."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25." Each shipping label bears a product code of "19900."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "20100."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18." Each shipping label bears a product code of "20600."
  • Bulk weight packages of "CHOP BEEF STEAK, FINE GRIND "86/14." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30000."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 92/08." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30400."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF ROUND, FINE GROUND 87/13." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30200."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30700."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31400."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 93/07." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31600."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31700."
  • Bulk weight packages of "BEEF MODIFIED, FINE GROUND 93/07." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31900."
Each shipping label bears the establishment number “Est. 18076” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products subject to recall were distributed for further processing and repackaging and will not bear the recalling firm’s establishment number on the package. (Read a press release regarding Fred Pritzker's call for food safety disclosure laws.) As the use-by date for products subject to this recall may have expired, consumers can contact their retailers to ask if they received any of these products. Consumers who have these products in their freezers and suspect that someone has been sickened by them should contact our law firm toll-free at 1-888-377-8900. Learn about tests needed to determine if you are part of an E. coli outbreak.

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People and Beef Test Positive for E. coli O157:H7 in Illinois

We contacted the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today regarding its investigation into illnesses that may be associated with American Foods Group, LLC ground beef products. In October IDPH began an investigation of 2 cases of suspected E. coli poisoning.

IDPH tested both the sickened people and ground beef products found in the home. Kimberly Parker, IDPH Communications Manager, said that, after confirming both the people and the beef tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, IDPH alerted the USDA. Prompted by the reports of these cases of E. coli O157:H7, American Foods Group recalled about 48 tons of ground beef products.


Posted November 2007.

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Listeria Recall: Double B Foods Sausage Rolls

UDSA-FSIS has announced a Double B Foods sausage roll recall involving about 98,000 pounds of frozen sausage roll products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The frozen sausage roll products were produced by Double B Foods on various dates between Oct. 25 and Nov. 6, and were distributed to retail establishments in Texas, and institutions, catalogue sales and distribution centers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. The recalled sausage rolls were sold under a number of brands and may have been repackaged. The brands named in the FSIS announcement of the frozen sausage roll recall are Double B Foods, H-E-B, Smokey’s, Southern Heritage, and Wheeler. Read more about the Double B Foods sausage roll recall.

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Cranberry Juice as E. coli Prevention


As the number of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks continues to grow, it may be time for people to consider a natural preventative measure—cranberry juice. Over the years, a number of studies have looked at the health benefits of cranberries, particularly in the prevention of urinary tract infections. Researchers have found that cranberry juice may be able to prevent E. coli infections.

How much cranberry juice cocktail should one consume?

According to a study published in 2002 (Howell), 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail every morning and evening may help prevent an E. coli infection. The research conducted jointly between Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the University of Michigan, looked at the affect of cranberry juice cocktail on E. coli adhesion in the urinary tract. Researchers took urine samples of healthy men and women, some of whom had consumed 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail. The urine was allowed to interact with urinary tract cells that had been exposed to E. coli. The urine of the people who had consumed the cranberry juice prevented 79% of the bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract cells. The study also found that cranberry juice cocktail’s beneficial effect may start within two hours and can last for up to 10 hours in the urine. If this is correct (more studies are needed) an 8 ounce serving in the morning and evening may be adequate provide anti-adhesion protection.

What does cranberry juice do to E. coli bacteria?

Research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Liu) found that a group of tannins (called proanthocyanidins) found primarily in cranberries affect E. coli in three devastating ways, all of which prevent the bacteria from adhering to cells in the body, a necessary first step in all infections:
  • They change the shape of the bacteria from rods to spheres.
  • They alter their cell membranes.
  • They make it difficult for bacteria to make contact with cells, or from latching on to them should they get close enough.
For most of these effects, the impact on bacteria was stronger the higher the concentration of either cranberry juice or the tannins, suggesting that whole cranberry products and juice that has not been highly diluted may have the greatest health effects.

"We are beginning to get a picture of cranberry juice and, in particular, the tannins found in cranberries as, potentially potent antibacterial agents," Camesano says. "These results are surprising and intriguing, particularly given the increasing concern about the growing resistance of certain disease-causing bacteria to antibiotics."

Disclaimer: Cranberry juice cocktail is a food, not a drug, nor should it be used in place of a drug. Anyone who suspects an infection should always consult a physician. Cranberry juice cocktail should not be used as a treatment for infection, but may be an effective part of a prevention routine.

References:
1. Amy B. Howell and Betsey Foxman, Cranberry Juice and Adhesion of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens, Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002, 287, 3082-3083.
2. Liu, Y., Black, M.A., Caron, L., and T.A. Camesano. Role of cranberry juice on molecular-scale surface characteristics and adhesion of Escherichia coli, Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2006, 93, 297-305.
3. Worcester Polytechnic Institute Press Release

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Ethics and Food Safety Lawyers

There is no excuse for unsafe and dangerous food products. My professional life is dedicated to holding food producers accountable for the harms and losses they cause by selling poisoned food.

But just as food producers must follow laws and regulations, so must lawyers follow their own professional rules when it comes to soliciting food safety survivors for legal representation.

All lawyers, including food safety lawyers, are required to comply with the Rules of Professional Responsibility. These rules specify what a lawyer can and cannot do in soliciting potential clients. For example, many states allow the lawyer to send a potential client a letter about the lawyer’s services, but no state allows a lawyer to directly contact a potential client. That means it is strictly forbidden for a food safety lawyer to call, visit or ask someone else to call or visit a food outbreak survivor in order to seek representation. Some lawyers try to get around this prohibition by sending out investigators or “runners” to contact potential clients under the guise of “providing information” or “offering assistance.” Whatever the alleged reason, direct or indirect contact is forbidden.

Lawyers are also prohibited from offering something of value to potential clients as an inducement for legal representation. Thus, a lawyer cannot offer goods, money, services or even offer to pay the client’s medical bills in order to induce an attorney-client relationship.

Lawyers are also required to put the client’s interests ahead of their own. For example, some lawyers rush out to find clients, so they can be first to file suit. The real purpose of this practice is usually to attract more clients rather than accomplish anything on behalf of the client for whom the suit is filed. Most ethical lawyers believe it is better to first investigate the case, obtain medical records and reports and understand the client’s losses before rushing to file suit and get publicity.

Your case is judged by the conduct of your lawyer. If he/she violates the rules, you should report the lawyer’s conduct to the Board of Professional Responsibility in the state where the lawyer practices.

Everyone – food producers, food distributors, food sellers and food safety lawyers – have to play by the rules.

Fred Pritzker has over three decades of experience representing survivors of foodborne illness and other unlawful conduct. He has collected millions of dollars on behalf of food safety victims. He is also a civil trial specialist certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Please contact Mr. Pritzker for a free case consultation by email (fhp@pritzkerlaw.com) or telephone (toll-free 1-888-377-8900).

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Sale of Listeria-Contaminated Food Results in 15 Month Sentence

Timothy Delong, former president of Atlantis Foods, Inc., has plead guilty to charges of engaging in a scheme to defraud through the sale of adulterated food (food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes), and a scheme to introduce misbranded food into interstate commerce in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 1341, and 21 U.S.C. §§ 331(a), 333(a)(2), and 343. R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and Lee Huttenbach, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Southeast Region, Office of Inspector General, announce that Mr. Delong was sentenced yesterday to fifteen (15) months in prison.

U. S. District Court Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley imposed the 15-month sentence and also ordered Delong to pay a fine of $5,000 and to pay restitution in the amount of $200,000 to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to be used to support its programs in the area of food safety. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Count 1 of the Information charged Delong with engaging in a scheme to defraud the customers of Atlantis Foods, Inc., where Delong served as president, through the sale of adulterated prepared foods. Delong, through Atlantis, sold chicken salad, Maine lobster dip, salmon cream cheese, salmon spread, chicken salad with almonds and cranberries, and crab stuffing which contained the harmful bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Delong was president of Atlantis Foods, which on six occasions in 2003, allegedly produced and distributed food products containing Listeria monocytogenes. Delong failed to notify his customers after learning of the contamination and did not initiate a recall of the products.

Count 2 of the Information charged Delong with the introduction into interstate commerce of misbranded food, namely "Smoked Rainbow Trout Spread," between January 2002 and December 2003. According to court records, the spread, which listed trout as the first ingredient, was false and misleading in that the product in fact did not contain trout, but instead was made with tuna.

A copy of the press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/.

Mr. Delong's sentence seems light considering that he endangered the lives of thousands of people. Sentencing in these cases should serve to adequately punish the guilty individual and deter similar behavior. This sentence did neither.

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Salmonella Linked to Quizno's and Lawsuit Information

We have been contacted by a family that was hospitalized after eating at Quizno's in Rochester, Minnesota. Our Salmonella lawyers are investigating the outbreak. There are ten culture-confirmed cases of Salmonella, and all ten of the people affected ate at Quizno's around the same time. All 10 of the cases involve a matching strain of Salmonella, meaning the genetic fingerprints of Salmonella isolates collected from each of the ten people are identical or nearly identical. Because each Salmonella outbreak has its own, genetically-unique Salmonella strain, all 10 of the people sickened after eating at Quizno's are part of the same outbreak.

Minnesota health officials suspect that tomatoes are the cause of the outbreak but have not yet ruled out other sources of the outbreak. For legal purposes, it is not essential that the food source of an outbreak linked to a restaurant is found. We have recently settled a Salmonella lawsuit against a Minnesota restaurant where the food source of the outbreak was never pinpointed.

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List of Recalled Cargill Ground Beef Products

Cargill announced today that it is recalling approximately 1,084,384 pounds of ground beef produced at its plant in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

We are providing a list of the recalled Cargill ground beef products as a public service. Consumers should look in their freezers for the recalled Cargill ground beef products and return them or discard them only if no one has eaten any of the ground beef. If someone has eaten some of the ground beef, save it for 10 days beyond the date on which any of it was last consumed. If no one becomes ill, discard it or return it. If someone who ate ground beef contracts an E. coli infection, the remaining ground beef may be used as evidence in a lawsuit against Cargill and other responsible parties.

List of Recalled Cargill Ground Beef Products

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 80/20 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 3.0-pound packages of “Century Farm 80/20 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Century Farm 80/20 Ground Beef Patty.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 85/15 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 3-pound packages of “Century Farm 90/10 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 90/10 Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 90/10 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 93/7 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Century Farm 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/31/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Century Farm 85/15 Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 93/7 Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 80/20 Chuck Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm 80/20 Chuck Ground Beef for Chili.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Century Farm Meatloaf Mix, Beef, Pork and Veal with Natural Flavors.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 1.25- pound packages of “Giant 75/25 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 3.0- pound packages of “Giant 75/25 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.25-pound packages of “Giant 80/20 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 3.0-pound packages of “Giant 80/20 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Giant Eagle Ground Chuck Beef Patties 80/20.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 &10/22/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Giant Eagle Ground Beef Patties 92/8.” Use by/freeze by 10/22/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Giant Eagle Ground Beef Patties 85/15 – Certified Angus Beef Brand.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/22/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Giant Eagle Ground Round Beef Patties 85/15.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/22/2007

• 3.0-pound packages of “Shop Rite, 80% Lean 20% Fat, Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 3.0-pound packages of “Shop Rite, 85% Lean 15% Fat, Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Shop Rite, 93% Lean 7% Fat, Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Shop Rite, 93% Lean 7% Fat, Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Shop Rite, 96% Lean 4% Fat, Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.25- pound packages of “Stop & Shop 75/25 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 5.0- pound packages of “Stop & Shop 75/25 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.25-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 80/20 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 1.25-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 85/15 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.2-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 87/13 Ground Beef Sirloin, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 90/10 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.0-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 80/20 Ground Beef Patties, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 80/20 Ground Beef Patties, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 2.6-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 80/20 Ground Beef Patties, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 90/10 Ground Beef Patties, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 2.5-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 90/10 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007

• 2.5-pound packages of “Stop & Shop 93/7 Ground Beef, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Wegmans 80/20 Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Wegmans 90/10 Ground Beef Patties.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/22/2007

• 3-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats, 73/27 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats, 80/20 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 3-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats, 80/20 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007 & 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 85/15 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 2.0 and 3.0 -pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 85/15 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 2-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 93/7 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 93/7 Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 96/4 Ground Beef Extra Lean.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 90/10 Ground Beef Sirloin Patties.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats Meatloaf Mix, Beef, Pork and Veal with Natural Flavors.” Use by/freeze by10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Weis Premium Meats 80/20 Ground Beef for Chili.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Meat Loaf Mix, Made with Beef, Pork, Veal, with Natural Flavors.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/22/2007

• 1.25-pound packages of “Meatloaf Mix, A Blend of Fresh Ground Beef, Pork & Veal, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• Various weight packages of “85/15 Coarse Ground Beef for Chili Meat, All Natural.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Ground Beef Chuck for Chili 80/20.” Use by/freeze by 10/19/2007 & 10/22/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Price Rite 85% Lean, 15% Fat Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3-pound packages of “Price Rite 80% Lean, 20% Fat Ground Beef.” Use by/freeze by 11/03/2007

• 1.3 pound packages of “Price Rite Meat loaf mix.” Use by/freeze by 10/31/207 & 11/03/2007


Each package or label bears the establishment number “Est. 9400” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

States impacted by the recall include Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

In addition to the above listed products, there are various weights and varieties of ground beef, ground chuck, and ground sirloin product that were distributed for further processing and repackaging and will not bear the same establishment number on the package.

We are one of the leading foodborne illness litigation law firms in the United States. Because we have extensive experience representing victims of E. coli outbreaks, we know what E. coli cases are worth and do not settle for inadequate amounts. Contact us for a free consultation. You may call us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail info@pritzkerlaw.com, or submit the firm's online consultation form.

Cargill Ground Beef Recall Points to Need for Federal Action

For the second time in less than 30 days, Cargill has recalled ground beef due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The recall on October 6 involved 845,000 pounds of ground beef hamburger patties; today's recall involves over 1 million pounds of ground beef.

States impacted by the recall are: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Residents of these states should look in their freezers for ground beef products that are on the list of recalled Cargill ground beef products.

The ground beef products involved in today's recall were produced between October 8 and 11, 2007, at the company's plant in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. Cargill learned of the possibility of contamination after the USDA returned a confirmed positive on a sample of product produced Oct. 8, 2007. Today is November 3, 26 days after that contaminated sample was produced. This ground beef should have been recalled the day there was any evidence of possible contamination. If that date was before the ground beef was distributed, it should never have been distributed.

In addition to Cargill, other manufacturers of ground beef products and other products (Jeno's and Totino's pizza) have also dragged their feet regarding product recalls. The federal government needs to take action to 1) prevent contaminated ground beef from entering the food supply system and 2) immediately recall ground beef when there is any evidence of contamination. This will require legislation giving the USDA the authority to establish mandatory sanitation and processing guidelines for slaughter houses and meat processors and the authority to recall potentially-contaminated meat. We have contacted federal legislators regarding this and will continue to work for the elimination of E. coli in our country's food supply.

Pritzker | Ruohonen represents victims of E. coli outbreaks and the families of victims who have died. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

Totino's Pizza E. coli Outbreak: Symptoms and Medical Treatment

What to Do if Someone in Your Family Ate Some Recalled Totino’s or Jeno’s Pizza

If someone in your family ate some recalled Totino’s or Jeno’s pizza, you will need to watch for symptoms of E. coli for at most 10 days after consumption of the pizza. The incubation period for E. coli O157:H7 is usually between 3 and 4 days, but it can take as long as 10 days for E. coli symptoms to manifest.

Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 include abdominal cramping, watery / bloody diarrhea, nausea and sometimes a fever. Even “mild” cases of E. coli O157:H7 will be noticeably different from the flu. The pain is intense and the diarrhea can be explosive. If you get E. coli, it will be one of the worst experiences of your life.

[A woman who works at our firm makes her children guzzle down cranberry juice for days if she thinks they have eaten a product that may be contaminated with E. coli. There is some scientific evidence to support the theory that cranberry juice may be able to prevent an E. coli infection, but we do not know of any published research on the amount and concentration of cranberry juice that would be necessary to make a difference.]

If anyone in your family experiences E. coli symptoms, especially the bloody diarrhea, seek medical attention immediately and tell them about the exposure to the potentially contaminated Jeno’s or Totino’s pizza. Special tests will need to be done to determine if the E. coli infection is E. coli O157:H7, and further testing will need to be done if E. coli O157:H7 is involved to determine if the DNA fingerprint of the bacteria matches the Jeno’s-Totino’s-outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Contact an E. coli lawyer at our office if there is an E. coli O157:H7 diagnosis.

Please note what the CDC has to say about treatment of an E. coli O157:H7 infection:
Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics could lead to kidney complications. Antidiarrheal agents, such as loperamide (Imodium®), should also be avoided.
Your doctor should know this information.

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Jeno's and Totino's Lawsuit and E. coli Outbreak Information


JENO’S AND TOTINO’S LAWSUIT AND LAWYER: Below is a CDC update of the Jeno’s and Totino’s Pizza E. coli outbreak. Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli law firm, is providing this information as a public service. Pritzker | Ruohonen is investigating the E. coli outbreak linked to Jeno's / Totino's pizza, products of General Mills. For a free consultation regarding a Jeno's / Totino's lawsuit (General Mills will be a plaintiff), contact Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form on the right for review by an E. coli lawyer at the firm.

CDC Update Regarding the Jeno’s and Totino’s Pizza E. coli Outbreak: Investigation of Outbreak of Human Infections Caused by E. coli O157:H7

The Tennessee State Department of Health and CDC are collaborating with public health officials in multiple states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to investigate an ongoing multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in humans. A study comparing foods eaten by ill persons to foods eaten by well persons showed that eating frozen pizza that contained pepperoni and was produced by the General Mills company under the brand names of Totino's or Jeno's was the likely source of the illness. [This epidemiological evidence will be important in a Jeno’s / Totino’s lawsuit.]

As of November 1st, at least 21 isolates of E. coli O157:H7 with an indistinguishable genetic fingerprint have been collected from ill persons in 10 states: Illinois (1 person), Kentucky (3), Missouri (2), New York (2), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (8), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1). [Each E. coli outbreak involves a genetically-unique E. coli O157:H7 strain; therefore, anyone sickened by an outbreak-strain of E. coli O157:H7 is part of the outbreak. Genetic fingerprint patterns will play an important role in a Jeno’s / Totino’s lawsuit.]

Persons became ill between July 20, 2007, and October 10, 2007. The age of ill persons ranges from 1 to 65 years with a median age of 9; 53% of ill persons are female. At least 8 people have been hospitalized, and 4 have developed a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic-uremic syndrome, or HUS. No deaths have been reported.

The Tennessee State Department of Health, working with CDC and health officials in several other states, coordinated a study to identify the source of these infections. Eating a Totino's or Jeno's brand frozen pizza containing pepperoni was significantly associated with illness. The source of contamination of the pizzas is not known at this time. Company officials are working closely with CDC, USDA-FSIS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health and agricultural departments to identify the source of the contamination. General Mills has ceased shipment of all frozen pizza products that contain pepperoni and has announced a voluntary recall. Read about the Jeno's and Totino's pizza recall.

Consumers should not eat recalled Totino's or Jeno's brand frozen pizzas that contain pepperoni as a topping. Anyone who has eaten the product but did not become ill need not take any special action. People who are ill with diarrhea within a week of consuming this type of frozen pizza should seek medical care and let their doctor know about the exposure.

If you or your child is diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after eating a Jeno’s or Totino’s pizza, an E. coli lawyer at our firm is available for a free consultation regarding a Jeno’s / Totino’s lawsuit. We are one of the few law firms in the country that practices extensively in the area of E. coli litigation. This experience translates into the ability to come to the negotiating knowing what an E. coli case is worth. Contact us.

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