Tallahassee Personal Injury Lawyer - Food Poisoning

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Peanut Butter

Brian W. Smith — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:03:47 GMT

King Nut Companies of Solon, Ohio issued a voluntary recall for two brands of peanut butter, after health officials in Minnesota said they had found salmonella bacteria in a tub of peanut butter that is distributed to schools and hospitals.

King Nut, in its statement, said it took the action after salmonella was found in an open five-pound tub of King Nut peanut butter. King Nut distributes peanut butter through food service accounts and does not sell it directly to consumers, the statement said.

Peanut Corporation of America issued its own statement on its Web site, confirming "the salmonella was found in an open container of King Nut peanut butter at a nursing facility" in Minnesota.

The strain of salmonella has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in the United States. It's often found in uncooked eggs and meats, said officials with the CDC, who have been investigating the outbreak for several weeks.

Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after contact with the germ. Infections typically clear up in five to seven days. However, severe infections can occur, particularly in infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In severe cases, the salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and other parts of the body, causing death unless antibiotics are administered, according to the CDC.

*** If you or a family member has suffered illness as a result of eating peanut butter and you have medical documentation that you or your family member has suffered illness after eating the peanut butter, please contact our office at 866-735-1102 ext. 515 to discuss how we may be able to assist you. Or visit our web site at www.smithvanture.com

If you do seek medical treatment, please ask that a stool culture be done to try and confirm that you have been affected by salmonella. A stool culture is the only way to confirm the presence of Salmonella bacteria. The lack of a positive stool culture, however, will not preclude a claim.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Tainted Peanut Butter May Have Sickened Hundreds

Brian W. Smith — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:26:23 GMT

King Nut announced it had issued a recall of all peanut butter distributed under its label and manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America, of Lynchburg, Va. The company also recalled its distribution of Parnell's Pride peanut butter, which is also made by Peanut Corporation, according to a prepared statement by King Nut.

King Nut, in its statement, said it took the action after salmonella was found in an open five-pound tub of King Nut peanut butter. King Nut distributes peanut butter through food service accounts and does not sell it directly to consumers, the statement said.

Peanut Corporation of America issued its own statement on its Web site, confirming "the salmonella was found in an open container of King Nut peanut butter at a nursing facility" in Minnesota.

The strain of salmonella has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in the United States. It's often found in uncooked eggs and meats, said officials with the CDC, who have been investigating the outbreak for several weeks.

Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after contact with the germ. Infections typically clear up in five to seven days. However, severe infections can occur, particularly in infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In severe cases, the salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and other parts of the body, causing death unless antibiotics are administered, according to the CDC.

*** If you or a family member has suffered illness as a result of eating peanut butter and you have medical documentation that you or your family member has suffered illness after eating the peanut butter, please contact our office at 866-735-1102 ext. 515 to discuss how we may be able to assist you. Or visit our web site at www.smithvanture.com

If you do seek medical treatment, please ask that a stool culture be done to try and confirm that you have been affected by salmonella. A stool culture is the only way to confirm the presence of Salmonella bacteria. The lack of a positive stool culture, however, will not preclude a claim.

Our law firm is investigating claims against the manufacturer and distributors of King Nut peanut butter, for negligence and product liability claims concerning the presence of salmonella bacteria in its peanut butter.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Peanut Butter is Possible Source of Salmonella Outbreak

Brian W. Smith — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:39:15 GMT

Officials from the state Department of Health said late Friday that the salmonella bacteria found in 30 Minnesotans believe to have been sickened by eating King Nut brand creamy peanut butter has the same genetic fingerprint as the salmonella bacteria found in 400 sick people in 42 states.

Further testing on cases outside Minnesota will be needed to confirm that the peanut butter is the source of those illnesses as well, "but we think it's likely," said department spokesman Doug Schultz.

The peanut butter, sold in 5-pound containers to food service companies that supply schools, hospitals and other institutions, does not usually end up on supermarket shelves.

Kirk Smith, supervisor of food-borne diseases at the state Department of Health, said the clue in this outbreak was that many of the Minnesotans who became ill had eaten in institutional settings. That included nursing homes, schools and colleges, he said.

"What they had in common was this brand of peanut butter," he said. "That was enough."

The brand of peanut butter that tested positive for salmonella in Minnesota and is possibly connected to a nationwide outbreak has been voluntarily recalled by its distributor, King Nut Companies of Solon, Ohio. The five pound tubs of creamy peanut butter are not manufactured by King Nut but are made for the company by the Peanut Corporation of America in Lynchburg, Va., King Nut said in its statement. Peanut Corporation has issued its own press release pertaining to this situation

The report of peanut butter contamination comes almost two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which was eventually linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.

If you, or someone you know, has suffered illness after eating peanut butter, contact our offices at (866) 735-1102 Ext 515 or visit our web site: http://www.injuryboard.com/firms/Florida/Tallahassee/Smith--Vanture-LLP/

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Source of Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Still Unknown

Brian W. Smith — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:48:01 GMT

An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to trace the source of the outbreak, which began in September. The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved.

The CDC said poultry, cheese and eggs are the most common source of this particular strain, known as Salmonella typhimurium.

"It is often difficult to identify sources of foodborne outbreaks. People may not remember the foods they recently ate and may not be aware of all of the ingredients in food. That's what makes these types of investigations very difficult," said CDC spokesman David Daigle.

Daigle did not specify how many people were hospitalized, but the percentage he gave puts that figure at about 70.

"Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Persons also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed," he said.

Every year, approximately 40,000 people are reported ill with salmonella in the United States, the CDC says, but it said many more cases are never reported.

Persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

If you or a loved one have recently suffered symptoms of exposure to salmonella, please contact our office at (866) 735-1102 Ext 515 or visit our web site: http://www.injuryboard.com/firms/Florida/Tallahassee/Smith--Vanture-LLP/

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Bacon Bits May Be Contaminated by Listeria

Brian W. Smith — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:07:25 GMT

Patrick Cudahy, a Cudahy, Wisc., firm, is recalling approximately 3,590 pounds of bacon bit products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Tuesday.

The bacon bit products were produced on Nov. 13, 2008, and distributed to restaurants and institutional establishments in California, Colorado, Florida, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Bizarre Incident Highlights Danger of Eating Raw Seafood

Brian W. Smith — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:49:20 GMT

Medical examiners in Panama City, Florida say that a man who died following a high-speed police chase had a rare form of cholera-causing bacterium.

Steven M. Harrison was unconscious in the back seat of a car that led police on a Sept. 23 chase. Sheriff's officials were initially warned Harrison may have had a different flesh-eating bacterial disease.

Medical examiners said Monday he instead had vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium usually caused by raw seafood. He was susceptible to infection because of a weak liver. According to the Center for Disease Control, the bacterium is rare but most prominent in the Gulf Coast states, where more than 900 cases were reported from 1988 to 2006.

This incident highlights the dangers of eating raw seafood. Individuals with certain medical conditions may be at a high risk for becoming seriously ill and dying from eating raw oysters contaminated with a naturally-occurring bacteria.

Potentially life-threatening to most people, symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection occurs within 24 to 48 hours of ingestion and may include symptoms such as sudden chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shock and skin lesions. People with certain medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes or liver disease can die from infection within two days. Anyone showing signs of these symptoms after eating raw oysters should seek medical attention immediately and inform the health care professional on duty that they've eaten raw oysters.

For more information about food safety litigation, contact the Smith & Vanture firm.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith

Salmonella Investigation Expands, But Still No Answers

Brian W. Smith — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:50:38 GMT

Although the scope of the investigation has widened, the Center for Disease Control and the FDA seem no closer to discovering the source of the recent outbreak of Salmonella St. Paul. Tomatoes were originally thought to be the source, but as investigation continues, peppers and cilantro have joined the list of possible contaminants.

"We are quite sure that neither tomatoes nor jalapeños explains the entire outbreak," said the Centers for Disease Control's Dr. Robert Tauxe. "We're presuming that both of them have caused illnesses."

The wide range of dates of symptoms and the variety of products that the victims have consumed has complicated the process of determining the cause of the outbreak. The CDC and FDA have come under fire for implicating tomatoes originally and some tomato industry have contemplated legal action against those agencies to seek compensation for their losses, which continue to mount, as the investigation drags on.

Stay tuned to our website for further updates on this investigation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brian W. Smith