The U.S. Agriculture Department is alerting consumers to the role they can play in the current Topps ground beef recall.
Richard Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, said that the recalled product might still be in home freezers. Consumers should be sure not to make use of that meat.
The recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products is the fifth largest in U.S. history. To date, 25 cases of E. coli food poisoning have been linked with the recalled meat.
Last week, the USDA suspended operations at Topps’ factory (located in Elizabeth, New Jersey), and USDA investigators found that Topps had not been following proper meat handling procedures. Raymond said that meat processed on one day was mixed into the meat used the following day. The specific source of the E. coli contamination has not been determined.
For more information about E. coli, please see E. coli Food Poisoning and E. coli Symptoms. You can also visit our website www.foodpoisoning.com, where information is available about E. coli, Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and E. coli Symptoms and Complications.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg currently represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks throughout the United States. If you or a loved one have been harmed by E. coli food poisoning, and you have a question about your legal rights, please call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274 for a free case evaluation, or click on Free Case Evaluation to submit your questions. To learn more about the Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg, please see E. Coli Lawyer.
October 3rd, 2007
Three small children were among the five members of the Alfonso-Slevin family of Everett, Washington, who were stricken with E. coli food poisoning. The health department is investigating the situation, but the source of the contamination has not been found.
The Alfonso-Slevins’ 16-month-old boy, Adelido, and their 3-year-old son, Carlitos, were hospitalized with bloody stool and fever. Their grandmother, who babysits for them, was hospitalized at a later date. Recently, Adriana, their 3-month-old daughter, has experienced bloody diarrhea, and their father, Adelido, has experienced symptoms, as well.
The family’s two sons tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 and probably passed the infection on to other family members. Even though other family members tested negative for E. coli food poisoning, they may still have the infection.
“The problem with testing is that it has to be tested on the stool and only 50 percent of the time do organisms show up on the stool. So we have to test three different times before we get something,” said Barbara Eisenberg, nurse practitioner.
E. coli can be spread through person-to-person contact in families, childcare centers, and nursing homes. Bacteria in the stools of infected individuals can be passed from one person to another if hygiene or handwashing habits are inadequate.
For more information about E. coli food poisoning, visit the pages of this blog: About E. coli and Common Symptoms and Complications. Also visit the website www.foodpoisoning.com. If you or a loved one has been harmed by E. coli food poisoning, please fill out a Free Case Evaluation Form or contact the Law Offices of Eric H. Weinberg toll-free at 1-877-934-6274. Mr. Weinberg represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks throughout the country and sponsors this and other websites to provide consumers with breaking news. For more information about the firm, please visit Food Poisoning Lawyer.
October 3rd, 2007