Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

BEEF PACKERS LAWSUIT
Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Ground Beef

Ground Beef Salmonella NewportThis Beef Packers lawsuit information is provided by Pritzker Olsen, a national Salmonella litigation law firm. Our lawyers have appeared on CBS News, Fox News and other news stations discussing Salmonella litigation and food safety. Contact us.

BEEF PACKERS LAWSUIT UPDATE: Pritzker Olsen law firm is representing an Arizona client who became sick with Salmonella not long after an August 2009 Beef Packers/Cargill ground beef recall. The August 2009 recall involved 825,769 pounds of ground beef produced by Fresno, Calif.-based Beef Packers, Inc., which is owned by Cargill Meat Solutions, a subsidiary of Cargill, Inc. Contact our law firm for Beef Packers lawsuit information.

December 4, 2009 Beef Packers Ground Beef Recall:
The Second Beef Packers Recall Due to Possible
Salmonella Newport Contamination in 2009

Beef Packers, Inc, a Fresno, California firm owned by Cargill, has recalled over 20,000 pounds of ground beef that was produced on September 23, 2009 because it may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport, which is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs. The recall was issued after cases of salmonellosis (Salmonella infection) in Arizona were associated with the Beef Packers ground beef.

The recalled Beef Packers ground beef was sold in bulk by Beef Packers, repackaged and sold at Safeway stores in Arizona.

On December 7, 2009, three days after the recall, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro called for the closure of Beef Packers, Inc.

From a press release issued by her office:

The Cargill-owned company has a history of food safety violations, including a nearly 860,000 pound recall earlier this year of meat contaminated with the same strain of salmonellosis suspected in this recall.

The company has also been the subject of a recent investigation by USA Today regarding their participation in the National School Lunch Program, and has been suspended from the program three times for safety concerns.

“This is another glaring example of the problems we face in our nation’s food safety system. Beef Packers, Inc. has repeatedly shown their inability to meet current safety measures, and continues to pose a health risk not only to the general population, but to our children through the school lunch program. Given the repeated violations of Beef Packers, Inc., the USDA should close this facility and undertake a comprehensive examination into the process at Cargill-BPI to identify and correct any major problems internally or with their suppliers.”

Below is the USDA-FSIS announcement of the Beef Packers hamburger recall, with comments by our law firm:

December 4, 2009 - Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 22,723 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The products subject to recall include:

  • 60 pound cases of "GRD Beef Fine 93/07 10/60." Each case bears the identifying case code W69363 with Use/Freeze by dates of 10/11/09.

The ground beef products were produced on September 23, 2009 and bear the establishment number "EST. 31913" printed on the case code labels. The ground beef products were distributed to a retail distribution center in Arizona. [One has to question why it took over two months to recall ground beef (a perishable product) that may cause serious illness and death.  Our law firm is involved in advocating for immediate recall of potentially dangerous food products.]

Because these products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall. [Safeway and any other companies that repackaged the recalled Beef Packers ground beef may be held liable along with Beef Packers for any illness or death associated with consumption of the meat.]

As a result of an ongoing investigation into illnesses from Salmonella Newport associated with ground beef products, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) notified FSIS of the situation. Epidemiological and traceback investigations conducted by FSIS and ADHS determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and two (2) illnesses reported in Arizona. The Salmonella Newport strain was isolated both from the patients and from ground beef produced by Est. 31913. They were also linked by their uncommon pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern found in PulseNet, a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [This evidence can be used for a Beef Packers lawsuit.  It is highly persuasive.]

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

This particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals. [Again, why did it take over a month to recall this potentially-fatal beef? As consumers, we should consider whether the companies involved wanted to make sure all of it was consumed prior to the recall so they wouldn’t lose any money.]

If you were sickened in this outbreak of Salmonella infection (salmonellosis), please contact our law firm about a Beef Packers lawsuit: call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our Salmonella free case consultation form.

Contact Fred Pritzker

Our attorneys have appeared on CBS, Fox and local television stations discussing food litigation and food safety. They have also been interviewed by The Associated Press, The New York Times and others. Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact our lawyers about the Cargill-Beef-Packers recall, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

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