Food Poisoning Law Firm
Pritzker Olsen Law Firm Food Safety Blog

Pritzker Olsen attorneys have appeared on CBS News, Fox news, and numerous local television stations throughout the country. They have recovered millions for victims of food poisoning outbreaks. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

What We Dont Know Will Hurt Us

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, has cast a critical eye on the results of a report produced by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program. While the report's central message is that we as a society aren't getting any better at controlling food poisoning, Pritzker found data that suggests the problem runs deeper. Here is his report:

The Federal government’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) recently released preliminary data about the frequency of certain foodborne illnesses in 10 monitoring states for the year 2008. This is the equivalent of the government’s report card for food safety. The scores, as they say, leave much room for improvement.

The “take away” point from this data is that “progress toward the national health objectives [for foodborne pathogens] has plateaued, suggesting that fundamental problems with bacterial and parasitic contamination are not being resolved.”

My comment [and their goal] is simply: “No Shit.”

Stripped of its “journal speak,” the data shows that after making progress for a few years, efforts to safeguard our food have gone nowhere.

"The lack of recent progress toward the national health objective targets and the occurrence of large multistate outbreaks points to gaps in the current food safety system and the need to continue to develop and evaluate food safety practices as food moves from the farm to the table."

A closer reading of the data actually points to more serious problems. For example, in just one year (from 2007 to 2008), test samples of ground beef yielding E. coli O157:H7 nearly doubled from 0.24% to 0.47%. This is really quite shocking.

It was also interesting to note that only 25.7% of E. coli O157:H7 infections and 7.4% of Salmonella cases are associated with outbreaks. In other words, in the vast majority of human illness associated with these two pathogens, the source is never identified.

In a way, this is even more shocking. It shows we’re still very inadequate when it comes to testing for and analyzing foodborne pathogens – in other words, what we don’t know will hurt us.

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Recall: Ground Beef With Metal Clips

An Illinois meat processing plant has recalled 241,000 pounds of ground beef because some of its institutional customers complained of finding metal packaging clips in the hamburger.

The recall was announced by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which designated it a Class III event: "Health Risk Low.''

According to the FSIS notice, the ground beef in question was sold in 20-pound cases that each contained four five-pound "casing chubs.'' The same type of clips fastened to the chubs were found in some ground beef.

FSIS said it had not received any consumer complaints.

The recalled beef was made between January 2009 and May 2009, distributed in Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

If you or someone you know was recently injured from metal found in hamburger, call national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. Lawyers at the firm can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), or by submitting a free case consultation form.

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Bean and Soy Sprouts Recalled Over Listeria

More sprouts are being recalled, this time for the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

The action was announced Thursday by Chang Farm of Whatley, Massachusetts.

In a press release placed on the Food and Drug Administration's food safety website, the company said its bean and soy sprouts may be contaminated with Listeria but that no illnesses have been reported.

The produce -- packed in 10-pound bulk bags and 12-ounce plastic bags for retail, are distributed to retail stores and restaurants throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Sold under the Chang Farm label, the soy sprouts have a “Sell By” date of May 23, 2009, or May 24, 2009. Bean sprouts have a “Use By” date of May 23, 2009, or May 24, 2009.

The contamination was discovered in a test sample taken at a retail store in New York, the company said.

Listeria can cause potentially deadly infections in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. A Listeria outbreak in Canada last year killed 22 people. For pregnant women, Listeria carries the additional threat of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Earlier this spring, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control advised consumers not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts because they may be contaminated with Salmonella that infected seeds at various growers.

National food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is currently representing clents in a variety of foodborne illness outbreaks and has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Minnesota for the family of a woman who died in the peanut product Salmonella outbreak that started last fall.

Listeria lawyers at Pritzker Olsen welcome your call and can be reached for more information by phone at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). To receive a free case consultation, complete one of our online forms and an attorney will get back to you.

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Food Safety Lawyer Says Wrongdoers Should Be Held Accountable

by Attorney Fred Pritzker

On May 21, 2009 Valley Meats LLC, a Coal Valley, Illinois, establishment, recalled approximately 95,898 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. This action followed an investigation by Cleveland, OH health officials that identified two eateries that possibly served burgers tainted with E. coli O157:H7. Three Cleveland area residents who became ill in April apparently had eaten at the two establishments, the VFW Hall in North Olmstead and Deekers Side Tracks in Mentor, OH.

A 7- year-old Cleveland girl died from E. coli O157:H7-related complications—hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that caused kidney failure and then a stroke. (Note: Friends of the girl’s family have set up a memorial fund and a fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, May 29. This family needs support.)

This devastating loss was utterly preventable and points to a food safety system breakdown on many levels.

Federal, state and local law prohibits the sale of adulterated food. If Valley Meats LLC distributed and sold meat products contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 it means the company violated laws that have been on the books for more than a hundred years and failed to properly test and detect lethal pathogens before the products left its facility.

It also means the restaurants that served this poisoned food similarly violated the law. Whether the meat was adulterated when it entered the restaurant, there is no question and no doubt that with proper cooking and handling, any pathogen in the food could and should have been killed off before it caused harm.

Coincidental to this tragedy and illustrative of it, preliminary data published on May 27, 2009 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicates that the estimated incidence of E. coli O157:H7 infections did not change significantly when compared with the preceding 3 years. In fact, the percentage of ground beef samples yielding E. coli O157:H7 actually doubled in 2008 compared to 2007. What’s more, none of the targets established by the federal government in its food safety initiative, Healthy People 2010 were met.

I have represented foodborne illness survivors in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak during the last several years. In virtually every one of those cases, people were sickened or killed not because laws were lacking or technology was insufficient, but rather because of three primal deficiencies: ignorance, sloth and greed. As the Cleveland case illustrates, the companies responsible for this outbreak were either too stupid, too lazy or too greedy or a combination of all three, to prevent the lifelong losses that occurred.

It is only fitting that such wrongdoers be held accountable for the harms and losses they caused. But in these cases that means more than just collection of insurance proceeds. It means actual accountability – the kind that comes from criminal prosecution and payment of punitive damages that actually punish wrongdoers and serves as a deterrent to prevent future outbreaks. Without such deterrence, we can expect more of the same.

To contact attorney Fred Pritzker, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our contact form for Fred's review.

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E coli Outbreak in Cleveland, Ohio

An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with ground beef has sickened 3 people and may have killed a seven-year-old girl in Cleveland, Ohio. People in Illinois and Pennsylvania were also sickened in this outbreak.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, the three people sickened in Cleveland were a 3-year-old girl, a 24-year-old man and a 71-year-old man. Two were hospitalized. Health officials did not reveal the name of the girl who died or whether she had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a deadly complication of E. coli poisoning.

Epidemiological evidence has linked this E. coli outbreak in Cleveland with ground beef products produced by Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Illinois. On March 21, 2009, Valley Meats recalled almost 96,000 pounds of frozen patties and refrigerated ground beef produced on March 10. The recalled meat was sold to restaurants and food service accounts.

Two restaurants are part of the investigation in Cleveland, and people would like to know which restaurants they are. We received a comment on our food poisoning blog from a woman who knows the seven-year-old who died:
The 7 yr old that died attended my daughters school. Of course they did not release the information surrounding her death. My concern is as follows, the lunches at the elementary school are catered by a local restaurant. Since the names of the restaurants being investigated are not being released I fear there is a possibility it could be the one supplying lunches to the school. It is inconceivable that not only would the school but also the health department put more children at risk by not disclosing such important information
We agree that the names of the restaurants should be disclosed. If these restaurants had followed USDA guidelines for cooking the ground beef, it is likely no one would have become sick because E. coli can be killed with heat. Consumers should know that these restaurants served under-cooked ground beef. Moreover, E. coli can have a long incubation period. There may be people who ate contaminated ground beef at the restaurant and need to watch for symptoms of E. coli poisoning.

Victims of this outbreak and their families may seek compensation from Valley Meats LLC, the restaurants where they ate the contaminated ground beef, and others.

If you have been sickened by E. coli or lost a loved one to E. coli, please contact our law firm for a free consultation with an attorney by calling 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or completing our free case consultation form. We have represented E. coli victims from most major outbreaks and are currently representing the family of a person who died in Ohio from Salmonella poisoning.

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48 Tons of Ground Beef Recalled

Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Illinois, recalled 95,898 pounds of ground beef Thursday as state and federal health officials announced that the meat may be associated with an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Ohio.

Authorities are investigating whether the E. coli death of a 7-year-old Cleveland girl is part of the outbreak.

The recall by Valley Meats, announced by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), included frozen beef patties and refrigerated loose ground beef packaged under various labels. The hamburger was produced March 10 and the Ohio Department of Health first reported the state's cluster of E. coli illnesses on May 13, FSIS said.

Of the three Ohio E. coli O157:H7 infections that match each other, two of the victims were hospitalized but all three recovered. One was a 3-year-old girl, another was a 24-year-old man and the third was a 71-year-old man.

National food poisoning and food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is monitoring the outbreak and advising anyone who believes they may be sick from eating contaminated ground beef from Valley Meats to see a physician immediately. The firm has extensive experience representing victims of E. coli 0157:H7 and is currently representing the Ohio family of Nellie Napier, an 80-year-old woman from Medina County who died of Salmonella poisoning in the peanut butter

To reach an E. coli lawyer at our firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 or write to us online to receive a free case consultation.

The 48 tons of potentially tainted hamburger were distributed nationwide to restaurants and food service accounts, mostly in 10-pound cases. But some packages weighed as much as 40 lbs.

All the packages contain a USDA establishment number of 5712. At least a dozen of the ground beef packages were shipped as generics, without a specified brand name. Other packages of ground beef included in the recall include the following brand names: 3S, Grillmaster, J&B, Klub, Thick 'N Savory and Ultimate.

For a complete list of the recalled items click here.

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Lettuce, E. coli and HUS

In recent years, a number of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been linked to lettuce. Our lawyers have represented victims of these lettuce-E. coli outbreaks. We are currently investigating a possible lettuce-E. coli outbreak that has sickened people in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Contact our national food safety lawyers for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

Several of the lettuce E. coli outbreak cases have involved the development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe illness that causes organ failure, brain damage and death. HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States, and about 10% of children who contract E. coli infections develop HUS.

HUS is characterized by three main features: microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure (kidney failure) (1). Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia means that red blood cells (carry oxygen) are destroyed in damaged small blood vessels, resulting in a low red blood cell count. Thrombocytopenia indicates a low platelet count and results from entrapment of the platelets in organs (1). Acute renal failure means that the kidney function is severely impaired. Many E. coli-HUS patients undergo hemodialysis and plasmapherisis.

If you have a child, spouse or other loved one who has lettuce-E. coli-associated HUS, the following information may be helpful:
  • Make sure your loved one is tested for E. coli O157:H7 as soon as possible. This generally involves getting a stool sample. A positive test for E. coli O157:H7 is critical to determining what party or parties are liable (legally responsible) for the illness. If you have questions about E. coli testing, please contact our law firm to speak with one of our E. coli lawyers.
  • If you have left over lettuce that you know or suspect caused the E. coli infection, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. In the last lettuce-E. coli outbreak, a bag of leftover lettuce in a victim’s refrigerator cracked the case. Again, contact our law firm about this important evidence.
  • You probably know by now that medical expenses related to lettuce-E. coli associated HUS are astronomical. Contact our law firm for information on how to collect medical expenses from responsible parties (a processor of bagged lettuce, a grower, distributors and others). Do not take any money from a responsible party without contacting our law firm. You may give up the right to seek future medical expenses, pain and suffering compensation and other damages.
We are food safety lawyers, and we view our job as twofold: 1) To make sure that victims of E. coli outbreaks linked to lettuce are fully and adequately compensated and 2) to prevent future lettuce-E. coli outbreaks by making the responsible parties pay enough to make it hurt. We also seek policy and law changes that will help prevent future outbreaks. Our clients have appeared before Congress. Contact our lawyers.

Source: 1. Razzaq S. 2006. Hemolytic uremic syndrome: an emerging health risk. Am Fam Phys. 74:6:991-996.

Posted May 2009.

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Renal Failure and E. coli Testing

Our law firm actively investigates most E. coli outbreaks in the United States, fighting for victim compensation. One of the issues we run into is testing for E. coli O157:H7 long after onset of symptoms. Patients often experience renal failure (E. coli kidney failure) before a stool sample has been tested for E. coli. By that time, any E. coli may have cleared from the body, making a positive test for E. coli impossible.

It is critical to an E. coli case to get a positive test for E. coli O157:H7 and then to further test the sample of E. coli to obtain a genetic fingerprint of the bacteria that can be matched to other victims and food sources.

Below is a description of a complex process taken to obtain a positive test for E. coli O157:H7 on a stool sample taken on day 30 of illness--an unusually long time for E. coli bacteria to remain in the body. The patient was a 40-year-old male who presented with several days of abdominal cramps, vomiting, and loose stool with interspersed blood. The patient’s medical condition continued to deteriorate, and he experienced renal failure. On day 9 of his hospitalization, he commenced hemodialysis and plasmapherisis. The working diagnosis was thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Several days later, doctors suspected that the patient had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is generally caused by an E. coli O157:H7 infection. By the time doctors reached this determination, finding E. coli in the stools was questionable, but persistence resulted in a positive test:
On the day the fecal sample was referred to our laboratory, it was screened for the presence of preformed Shiga toxin by the Vero cell cytotoxicity assay (4, 11). In addition, an investigational 10-min chromatographic immunoassay for Stx1 or Stx2 detection was performed. This handheld Shiga toxin detection (HHSTD) system, manufactured at the Naval Medical Research Center (Silver Spring, Md.), incorporates rabbit polyclonal anti-Stx1 or anti-Stx2 antibody immobilized on filter paper to capture Stx-Stx1 or Stx2 and Stx2 toxin variants, respectively, as they migrate across the membrane in sample buffer. Colloidal-gold-labeled toxin-specific monoclonal antibodies (described elsewhere [10, 12]) were also used to impregnate the filter paper but not immobilized. The monoclonal antibodies bind the antigen, if it is present, and form a visible band where the capture antibodies are fixed to the filter paper. We tested the sensitivity of the kits with purified toxin and stool specimens seeded with known numbers of toxin-producing organisms.

The level of detection was 3 to 6 ng of toxin (for Stx2 and Stx1, respectively) or approximately 107 CFU of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The Stx2 kit was less sensitive for the Stx2 variant Stx2c or Stx2d and detected 20 ng of toxin or 108 CFU. The kits were specific for toxin type and showed no cross-reactivity between Stx1 or Stx2 and its variants or with negative human stool components in our trials.

The results of the HHSTD immunoassays and the conventional cytotoxicity assay of the primary stool sample were negative. However, we reasoned that very low numbers of STEC bacteria would be shed at this late point after disease onset. We also suspected that if O157:H7 organisms were present, their appearance would be masked by the predominant normal flora seen when stool is plated directly onto sorbitol MacConkey (SMAC) agar (3). Similarly, toxin production would be below detectable levels. Two approaches were used to enhance STEC recovery and increase toxin detection.

First, in order to observe greater numbers of organisms in the stool, we suspended approximately 1 ml of sample in 10 ml of brain heart infusion broth (Remel, Lenexa, Kans.) and incubated the mixture overnight at room temperature to slow the growth of normal fecal flora, as is done when culturing Yersinia enterocolitica. The enrichment broth was diluted in serial 10-fold increments on the next day, and 100 _l of each dilution was spread plated onto Difco Luria-Bertani (LB) agar and SMAC agar (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.) and incubated overnight. Clearly discernible individual sorbitol-negative and –positive colonies were seen in the 10_6 and 10_7 dilutions plated on SMAC agar.

Sweeps of growth from the corresponding dilutions of overnight broth plated on LB agar were collected with a sterile cotton swab and mixed in 1 ml of the HHSTD kit buffer, and 300 _l was tested for toxin (isolates from SMAC agar were not used owing to the concern that false-positive reactions in the HHSTD kit might occur because of carryover of neutral red from the MacConkey base).

The HHSTD kit gave positive reactions for Stx1 and Stx2 on the mixed bacterial sweeps, which prompted us then to screen the sorbitol-positive and -negative colonies on SMAC agar for toxin production. A Shiga toxin gene probe was used to identify individual toxin-producing organisms by colony blot hybridization. One hundred fifty colonies of both the sorbitol-positive and –negative phenotypes were transferred with sterile toothpicks onto three LB agar plates (50 colonies each) in a grid pattern. The colonies were blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes after overnight incubation.

The membrane-bound colonies were lysed, and the DNA was denatured by saturation with 0.5 N NaOH. The nitrocellulose membranes were then dried at 80°C in a vacuum oven overnight and probed with PCR-amplified DNA of the Stx2-encoding gene (14). The colony blots were screened for hybridization with the Enhanced Chemiluminescence nucleic acid detection kit (Amersham Life Science, Buckinghamshire, England) in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The sorbitol-negative phenotype correlated 100% with hybridization to the Stx2 gene probe. The sorbitol-negative colonies were identified as E. coli with an API 20E strip (BioMe´rieux, Durham, N.C.), and the serotype was determined by agglutination with O157 and H7 antisera (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.). Clarified overnight culture lysates of the E. coli O157:H7 isolate (designated WR30) produced 106 50% cytotoxic doses/ml by Vero cell assay and were positive for both Stx1 and Stx2 when tested with the HHSTD kit.

At the same time that the broth enrichment stool culture was inoculated, a second broth culture was prepared to enhance toxin expression by induction of lysogenic toxin-converting bacteriophages. One milliliter of the fecal sample was diluted in 10 ml of brain heart infusion broth to which 5 _l of mitomycin C (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.), an alkylating agent known to induce the lytic cycle of lambdoid phages, was added (1, 6). After overnight incubation at 37°C with shaking, the broth culture supernatant was tested for Shiga toxin with the investigational test kit. A weak positive reaction for Stx2 was obtained, whereas a similarly prepared mitomycin-free broth culture was negative.
Source: Teel, Louise D., et. al, Shiga Toxin-Producting Escherichia coli-Associated Kidney Failure in a 40-Year_old Patient and Late Diagnosis by Novel Bacteriologic and Toxin Detection Methods, Journal of Clinican Microbiology, July 2003, Vol. 41, No. 7, p. 3438-3440.

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Lettuce E. coli Science Projects

The Center for Produce Safety has teamed with the California Leafy Green Research Program on a grant initiative that has awarded a total of $500,000 to seven "business focused'' scientific projects aimed at lowering the frequency of lettuce E. coli recalls and outbreaks.

Five of the seven projects specifically target E. coli O157:H7 and the research will run through March 2010.
The lettuce E. coli lawyers at national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys are all too familiar with the problem. For more than 15 years, bagged lettuce, head lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens have been repeatedly linked to E. coli 0157:H7 deaths and injuries.
Just last fall there was a multi-state outbreak linked to lettuce from California that was processed, bagged and distributed by Michigan-based Aunt Mid's.
While the industry has tried to self-police the problem, the changes haven't been as effective as stronger food safety legislation would be.
If you or someone you know has been recently sickened with E. coli, possibly in connection with bagged lettuce, head lettuce or other leafy green vegetables, please contact our firm as soon as possible. The toll-free number is 1-888-377-8900 or write to us online for a free case consultation.
E. coli 0157:H7 is a serious health threat, especially to young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. Especially among those populations, infection can lead to hospitalization and kidney malfunction. And patients who are given antibiotics for an E. coli infection are at greater risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of E. coli deaths.

Other health risks of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning include abnormal kidney function, blindness, Hemorrhagic Colitis, high blood pressure, paralysis, seizures and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disease in adults that carries the risk of stroke, seizures and central nervous system deterioration.

Pritzker Olsen has years of experience representing E. coli victims and their families. The firm has recovered millions of dollars for its food poisoning clients and is dedicated to educating the public about food safety issues, while lobbying for more effective legislation to protect the U.S. food supply from deadly pathogens. It is one of the few law firms in the country that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation.

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Cantaloupe Recall: Wal-Mart Stores

L & M Companies has recalled cantaloupe sold at Wal-Mart stores across North Carolina, South Carolina and South Hill, Virginia because the cantaloupe may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The cantaloupe recall was prompted by a positive test for Salmonella at a small farm where the cantaloupe were grown.

We checked both the L & M Companies website and the Wal-Mart website, and there was no mention of the recall. We typed in “cantaloupe recall” in the search box on walmart.com and got a list of “Total Recall” videos. Perhaps Wal-Mart should put a little more effort into informing its customers of recalls affecting its products.

If you have been diagnosed with Salmonella poisoning (salmonellosis) after eating cantaloupe, you may have a claim for compensation from the grower, distributor(s) a retailer (for example, Wal-Mart) and others. Compensation may include medical expenses, pain, emotional distress, disability, lost income, and other damages.

Past cantaloupe recalls have resulted in hospitalizations, serious organ damage and death. Our lawyers represent victims of Salmonella outbreaks nationwide.

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Salmonella Outbreak - Pepper: Law Firm Representing Victim

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing Shirley Jane Schultz, one of the victims of a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has been linked to white pepper manufactured by Union International Food Company, according to news reports.

Ms. Schultz, a 77-year-old from Nevada, was severely sickened and spent over a week in the hospital. Loved ones feared she would not survive when her kidneys temporarily shut down. She continues to suffer the effects of the illness.

“While we are still gathering information about what caused the spices made by Union International Food Company to become contaminated with Salmonella, our client’s illness just highlights the ongoing problems in our food safety system,” stated Eric Hageman, Ms. Schultz’s attorney. “People shouldn’t have to guess whether the food they are eating is safe. We should all feel that our food is safe. But that didn’t happen here and, as a result, Shirley Shultz ended up in the hospital. And someone needs to be held accountable.”

Union International Food issued the first spice and pepper recall on March 30, 2009. The recall included Lian How white pepper. Ms. Schultz was diagnosed with Salmonella poisoning on April 9, 2009.

Prior to the March 30 recall, Salmonella was isolated from an open container of Lian How White Pepper, which was found at a restaurant where some outbreak victims ate. Since March 30, additional Union International Food Company products have been recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination. The entire recalled products list is available on the FDA’s website.

Pritzker Olsen has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing Salmonella outbreak victims and their families. The firm has been involved in virtually every national foodborne illness outbreak and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. In addition, the firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food and enforcing food safety laws.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys are frequent guests and commentators about food safety issues and have been interviewed by and profiled in a number of media sources including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and CNN.

If you have been sickened in this Salmonella outbreak linked to pepper, please contact Pritzker Olsen law firm: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

Salmonella Outbreak Pepper Posted May 2009.

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Bobs Food City Ground Beef Recall

On May 12, 2009 the USDA-FSIS announced a ground beef recall. Bob's Food City, a Hot Springs, Arkansas, retailer is recalling approximately 375 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The following ground beef products subject to recall were sold as tray packs of varying weights bearing a "Sell By" date of "05/09/09." The products subject to recall include:
  • 1-pound through 5-pound tray packs of "GROUND BEEF CHUCK," "GROUND ROUND" or "REGULAR GROUND BEEF." Each pack bears a sell by date of "05/09/09." There is no USDA mark of inspection on the tray packs.
These ground beef products were produced on May 7, 2009, and were sold to customers of the Bob's Food City retail store located at 800 Malvern Avenue, in Hot Springs, Arkansas

The problem was discovered through FSIS sampling procedures. FSIS has received no reports of illness due to consumption of these ground beef products. This does not mean that were no illnesses due to consumption of these products. If you were sickened after eating ground beef, please contact our law firm.

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Ground Beef Recall Lawsuit

A ground beef recall usually means one of the following:
  • The USDA-FSIS has tested a sample of the ground beef and found E. coli contamination
  • A processor or distributor of ground beef has tested a sample of ground beef and found E. coli contamination
  • Health officials have received reports of illness that may be associated with the ground beef
Because ground beef is usually processed in huge quantities, ground beef recalls involve hundreds or thousands of pounds. Some recent recalls have involved millions of pounds.

E. coli contamination is preventable with good sanitation measures. Contaminated ground beef should never be distributed, but it is because there is not adequate testing and some companies disregard a positive test and distribute the ground beef anyway.

The bottom line is that serious injury and death from E. coli-contaminated ground is preventable, but certain companies are more interested in profits than people.

Suing the Bad Guys

Our attorneys are in the business of suing the bad guys who are responsible for serious injury and death resulting from the consumption of E. coli-contaminated ground beef. We also fight for changes in policy and law that will help prevent E. coli outbreaks.

We have recovered millions for E. coli victims and their families.

In each case, we establish a causal link between the illness and the ground beef with both epidemiological and microbiological evidence. This process may reveal a number of parties that can be sued for compensation. Even when a ground beef recall is involved, numerous parties in addition to the party initiating the recall may be liable.

Our attorneys take the time to thoroughly interview the victim and his or her family to determine how much compensation to seek. To do this, we fly all over the country. In a recent case, Attorney Fred Pritzker spent two days in an intensive care unit with an E. coli victim and her family. The E. coli victim had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and was close to death. Fred got to know the family well and better understood what our client meant to them and the community. This personal approach makes us better attorneys and provides families with a measure of peace because they feel like they can trust us.

Compensation for E. coli victims and their families may include the following:
  • Medical expenses
  • Cost of care
  • Loss of income
  • Pain and suffering
Pain and suffering in an E. coli case may include physical pain, emotional distress and disability. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation.

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A & G Brand Ground Beef Recall in NY

Alex & George Wholesale, Inc., a Rochester, New York firm, is recalling approximately 4,663 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The recalled ground beef products were produced on April 29 and distributed to restaurants in western New York.

If anyone is sickened by the recalled meat, they may have claims against Alex & George Wholesale, Inc., the restaurant where they ate the contaminated ground beef, and other parties for the following damages:
  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disability
E. coli bacteria have an incubation period as long as 10 days, but it is usually between 3 and 8 days. Because this potentially-contaminated meat was produced on April 29, people may not experience symptoms of E. coli for a few more days.

Contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen if you or a loved one is diagnosed with E. coli food poisoning.

The following products are subject to recall:
  • 10-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF"
  • 10-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand 'HOT SAUCE' SPECIAL BLEND"
  • 25-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF"
  • 30-pound poly bag of "A & G Brand BULK GROUND BEEF"
  • 10-pound case of (3-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • 10-pound case of (5-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • 10-pound case of "A & G Brand 'Homestyle Press' GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • 10-pound case of (6-1) "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • Cases containing 48, 4.25-ounce"A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES 'PUCKS'"
  • Cases containing 48, 5-ounce "A & G Brand 'Homestyle Press' GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • Cases containing 48, 5-ounce (4-1) "A & G Brand 'Homestyle Press' GROUND BEEF PATTIES"
  • Cases containing 48, 5-ounce "A & G Brand GROUND BEEF PATTIES 'PUCKS.'"
Most E. coli outbreaks involve undercooked hamburgers.

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Pasta Salad Recall in Washington Due to Salmonella Risk

Pasta & Co of Seattle, Washington is recalling their Chinese Vermicelli Salad and Pot Sticker Salad, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The products were manufactured using chili oil recalled by Union International Food Co. because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. Our law firm is representing a victim of the Salmonella outbreak linked to Union International Food Co. products. Read about a Union International Food lawsuit. Contact Attorney Eric Hageman for more information.

If you are sickened by recalled Pasta & Co products, you may have claims for compensation against Union International Food Co., Pasta & Co, and others. compensation may include medical expenses, pain and suffering, disability and other damages.

The salads were sold through Pasta & Co retail stores at the following locations in Greater Seattle, Washington: University Village, Queen Anne, and Bellevue.

Typically, the Chinese Vermicelli Salad and the Pot Sticker Salad are sold through the café display case counter and have a food card identifying the name of the product. There are no other specific coding or UPC codes for the products.

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Kleen-Pak Spinach and Salmonella

Ten-ounce and one-pound ready-to-eat bags of Kleen-Pak brand curly leaf spinach are being recalled from store shelves in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota after random tests came back positive for Salmonella.

The recall was announced in a press release by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. No illnesses have been associated with the spinach and the agency said the Salmonella detected in sample packages is not related to the peanut product Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 714 people in 46 states and killed nine.

Kleen-Pak Foods is based in Milwaukee. The packages under recall are those with use-by dates of April 29, April 30 and May 1. Most of product was sold in southern or southeastern Wisconsin.
National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys will monitor the recall and look for any signs of an outbreak related to Salmonella-tainted Kleen-Pak spinach. The firm is involved in practically all major outbreaks of foodborne illness and it has recovered large sums for victims and survivors of adulterated food.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause death in young children, the elderly and other people who have weakened immune systems. Symptoms of infection include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramping.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or write us online for a free case consultation.

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Food Poisoning Lawyer Fred Pritzker has appeared on national television and has been quoted by national publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Lawyers USA. He has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Law and Politics magazine. He is also listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Fred Pritzker about a food poisoning lawsuit or food safety advocacy, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit the firm's free consultation form.

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