Plum Organics has recalled one batch of its 4.22 oz. Apple & Carrot Portable Pouch baby food with the best by date May 21, 2010 and marked with the following universal product code (UPC) #890180001221 located on the bottom of the package.

Plum Organics recalled the baby food due to the risk of contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that produces a toxin that can cause botulism, a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition. Consumers should not use these products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the possible health risk. Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans include general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The recalled Plum Organics baby food pouches are sold individually at Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us locations nationally.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with this product and no other
Plum Organics products are affected.

"The product did not meet the FDA guidelines for proper acidity level," said Dr. Paul Gerhardt, a Food Science Ph.D. and member of the Plum Organics action team. "Though the risk of illness from this one batch is minimal, Plum Organics is taking the extraordinary step of recalling all Apple & Carrot Baby Food Pouches with best by date May 21, 2010."

"As a mother, the safety and satisfaction of our customers and their children is my highest concern," said Plum Organics Founder Gigi Lee Chang. Due to a mixing error during production, one batch of this product was improperly blended. As a result, it did not meet our company`s standard for quality. We are taking the extra step of recalling all Apple & Carrot Portable Pouches with this date to eliminate any question in the minds of consumers about the safety of our products. Plum Organics was founded on the vision of superior quality and nutritious baby food; we are committed to these values and our consumers."

For a free consultation regarding a botulism lawsuit, please contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.

Labels: botulism, botulism antitoxin, botulism lawyer, clostridium botulinum, listeriosis, Minnesota Listeria attorney

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.

Labels: campylobacter lawsuit, clostridium botulinum,food poisoning lawyer, salmonella attorney

Grand Supercenter, Inc. of Lyndhurst, NJ has announced an HC Fresh frozen croaker recall due to possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause botulism. Botulism is a potentially-fatal form of food poisoning.

the recalled HC Fresh frozen salted croaker was distributed through H Mart stores including H Mart and Super H Mart in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Texas area. The HC Fresh frozen croaker recall announcement provides the following description of the recalled croaker:

HC Fresh, Frozen Salted Croaker,
Net. Wt.: 16.9 oz (480 gram),
Item # HC 0500402,
Expiration Date: Aug 02. 2009

FDA is warning consumers not to use these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled.

If someone has consumed the recalled croaker, they should watch for botulism symptoms, which may include the following: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention. If someone is diagnosed with botulism, they or a family member should contact a botulism lawyer immediately.

Published April 2008.

Labels: botulism lawyer, clostridium botulinum, New York Fish recall

FDA has announced a bean salad recall due to possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. The manufacturer, Walker's Food Products Company of North Kansas City, Missouri, recalled its 16oz. packages of Four Bean Salad packaged under the Kay’s Gourmet brand name and 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers of Four Bean Salad packaged under the Walker’s Food Products Co. brand name. The containers are round clear plastic packages, which have an expiration date stamped on the bottom surface. The expiration dates subject to recall are 12/23/07 thru 04/5/08.

Walker's Food Products became aware of the problem after being notified by another company they had received beans that had been recalled due to being potentially contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. The manufacturer of the beans and FDA are continuing to investigate the source of this problem.

The recalled Four Bean Salad was distributed to distributors in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. It may have been repackaged and sold in retail stores. It may also have been served at restaurants.

Consumers are warned not to use the product, even if it does not look or smell spoiled. Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Labels: bean recall, botulism, clostridium botulinum