McDonald’s and Fresh Express Cyclospora lawsuits are seeking settlement money for people sickened in a national outbreak linked to Fresh Express salad products served at certain McDonald’s restaurants. The Cyclospora lawyers at Pritzker Hageman law firm are representing people sickened in several states. You can contact our law firm for a free consultation with a Cyclospora lawyer by using the form below.
Read about the first Iowa McDonald’s Cyclospora lawsuit and first Illinois McDonald’s Cyclospora lawsuit filed by Pritzker Hageman law firm. Our lawyers are representing many of the victims of this outbreak and are seeking money for their clients to pay for medical bills and lost income. They are also seeking money for pain and emotional suffering.
McDonald’s Cyclospora Lawsuit Investigation
The first reported illness in the McDonald’s Cyclospora outbreak was on May 20, 2018. We started getting contacts from people sickened in this outbreak in late June, when the outbreak numbers skyrocketed, as seen in the epidemiological graph below.
There are now 507 reported cases of cyclosporiasis (updated on August 24, 2018) in 16 states: Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Iowa (99), Illinois (273), Indiana (9), Kentucky (8), Michigan (2), Minnesota (11), Missouri (52), Nebraska (5), New York (1 from New York City), Ohio (15), South Dakota (18), Tennessee (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (10). The people reporting illnesses in Connecticut, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida purchased McDonald’s salads while traveling in another state.
Twenty-four (updated August 24, 2018) people have been hospitalized. One reason for hospitalization is dehydration resulting from days, sometimes months, of frequent, watery diarrhea. Many people who are sickened by Cyclospora bacteria lose significant amounts of weight, which can be another reason for hospitalization, particularly if there was an underlying medical condition.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed an analysis of an unused package of romaine lettuce and carrot mix distributed to McDonald’s by the Fresh Express processor in Streamwood, Illinois. The FDA analysis confirmed the presence of Cyclospora in that mix.
Fresh Express reported the following to the FDA regarding the contaminated salad product:
- the carrots in the mix went to McDonald’s restaurant locations only;
- the romaine lettuce was the only ingredient in the mix that was distributed to other locations;
- romaine lettuce from the same lot that was positive for Cyclospora was distributed in pre-made salads and wraps distributed by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana;
- Fresh Express also reported that no romaine lettuce from the lot that was positive for Cyclospora was packaged for direct retail sale to consumers.
With this information, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert about pre-made salads and wraps containing romaine lettuce that were distributed by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana. We are unaware of a recall issued by Caito Foods. The FDA public health alert was not technically a recall, but only a warning to consumers not to eat the following products:
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- Pre-made salads and wraps distributed by Caito Foods LLC that were made from July 15 to July 18, 2018, and have a “Best By,” “Enjoy by,” “Best if Sold By,” or “Sell By” date ranging from July 18 through July 23, 2018. See the product labels here.
- The pre-made salads and wraps that were the subject of the FSIS public health alert have the establishment number “EST. 39985” or “P-39985” inside or next to the USDA mark of inspection. See the full list of products, product labels, UPC code numbers, and other identifying information here
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Our clients were harmed by food contaminated with Cyclospora bacteria. They suffered symptoms that caused pain, severe diarrhea (so much so that many had to take time off of work), weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, bloating, increased gas, cramps, and fatigue. We are actively working to obtain money settlements for our clients to compensate them for the harm done. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation if you have been diagnosed with a Cyclospora infection (cyclosporiasis).