Archive for November, 2007
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced yesterday that American Foods Group, LLC, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has issued a recall for approximately 95,927 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
The recall was initiated following an investigation by the Illinois Department of Health into two reported cases of E. coli foodborne illness.
The recall ground beef includes coarse and fine ground beef chuck, sirloin and chop beef. The beef was distributed to retailers and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Virginia.
The following ground beef products are subject to recall:
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “65000.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “65800.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 90/10.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “66000.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “66400.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “19900.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “20100.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “20600.”
- Bulk weight packages of “CHOP BEEF STEAK, FINE GRIND “86/14.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30000.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 92/08.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30400.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF ROUND, FINE GROUND 87/13.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30200.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30700.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31400.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 93/07.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31600.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31700.”
- Bulk weight packages of “BEEF MODIFIED, FINE GROUND 93/07.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31900.”
The recall beef products were produced on October 10, 2007.
Each shipping label bears the establishment number “Est. 18076″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. However, the beef products subject to recall were distributed for further processing and repackaging and will not bear the recall firm’s establishment number on the package.
Since the use-by date for these products may have expired, consumers should check their freezers for the recall ground beef. Consumers can also check with their grocery retailer to see if the store handled any of the recalled beef products. Do not eat the recalled beef. Either return or discard the recalled beef if found.
Symptoms of E. coli food poisoning include severe abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea. The diarrhea may become bloody and can lead to dehydration. Complications of E. coli food poisoning may include Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a serious medical condition that occurs in about 2%-7% of cases. HUS is characterized by destruction of red blood cells, damage to the lining of blood vessel walls, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are often required.
For more information about E. coli food poisoning, please see About E. coli and E. coli Symptoms and Complications.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg represents victims of recent E. coli food poisoning outbreaks. If you or a loved one has 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 learn more about the Law Firm of Eric Weinberg, please see Food Poisoning Lawyer or E. coli Lawyer.
November 25th, 2007
Kristi Funderburk of the Vineland Daily Journal reports that two Vineland, New Jersey, residents have been hospitalized, and both are being treated for E. coli food poisoning symptoms.
Vineland Health Department Director Dale Jones stated on Wednesday that one of the two illnesses has been confirmed as E. coli.
The Journal also reported that it is not clear how the Vineland patients may have contracted E. coli, nor if there are more local E. coli cases.
The New Jersey State Department of Health has been notified, and the local Vineland Health Department and Cumberland County Health Department will continue to investigate the illnesses.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause diarrhea (sometimes bloody) and dehydration. The young, seniors, and the immuno-compromised are the most susceptible to complications arising from E. coli food poisoning.
To learn more about E. coli food poisoning, please see About E. coli and Symptoms of E. coli Food Poisoning. You may also wish to visit our additional website FoodPoisoning.com.
The New Jersey Law Firm of Eric Weinberg currently represents victims of food poisoning outbreaks. If you or a loved one has been harmed by E. coli food poisoning, and you have a question regarding you legal rights, please see Free Case Evaluation, or call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274. Please see New Jersey Food Poisoning Lawyer to learn more about our law firm.
November 23rd, 2007
Americans wait all year for Thanksgiving Dinner, a feast that in many families features turkey and all the trimmings. But a pleasant experience can turn into a health nightmare if food poisoning results from improper handling of holiday dishes and their ingredients. Whether you are feeding three or 30, preparing everything from scratch or purchasing dishes readymade, doing all the cooking yourself or hosting a potluck, it’s important to remember these food safety tips (with thanks to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture):
Clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often.
Always wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards and other preparation surfaces, utensils, sponges, and counter tops, so they should also be washed with soap and water.
Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate.
Keep bacteria from spreading from one food product to another, especially if you are cooking with raw meat, poultry and seafood. Keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Use different cutting boards for raw meat or poultry and other foods that will not be cooked, such as vegetables. Be sure to keep raw turkey separate from side dishes.
Cook: Cook food to proper temperatures.
Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Use a food thermometer to determine temperature. In the case of turkey, every part and the center of the stuffing should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165° F.
Chill: Refrigerate food promptly.
Refrigerating foods quickly keeps most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 40° F and freezers at 0° F, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer. Perishable foods should not be left sitting out at room temperature longer than two hours, and should be discarded after that time.
The food safety tips provided above should be followed all year round, but on Thanksgiving it’s also important to remember these precautions:
- Make sure to buy only government-inspected turkeys and always check the “sell by” date.
- Do not thaw frozen turkey at room temperature; thaw turkey in cold water, in the refrigerator or in the microwave. If thawing in water or microwave, cook immediately after thawing.
- Leftover turkey meat should be refrigerated promptly, apart from stuffing, and eaten within three to four days; turkey meat can be frozen. Remember to reheat leftovers thoroughly to 165° F.
- Never eat anything that looks or smells strange: When in doubt, throw it out!
For more information about proper turkey handling and cooking, please see the following Fact Sheet put together by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Countdown_to_the_Holiday/index.asp.
The Law Offices of Eric H. Weinberg wish one and all a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday! For more information about our firm, please visit Food Poisoning Lawyer.
November 21st, 2007
Despite a nationwide recall of Topps frozen hamburgers in late September, New Jersey state inspectors announced this past week that they have found more boxes of the recalled hamburgers on store shelves. Topps hamburgers were recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
A team of investigators from the Division of Consumer Affairs and state, county, and municipal health agencies have found 141 boxes of the potentially E. coli contaminated Topps frozen hamburgers at 12 stores, all in northern New Jersey, with the exception of one in Gloucester City in Camden County, the state Division of Consumer Affairs said.
“What began with the discovery of recalled hamburgers being for sale at a single store has escalated into a statewide public health issue, and potentially a national issue as well,” New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram said. “It is unacceptable that consumers can walk into a store and find these recalled contaminated products on the shelf, readily available for purchase and consumption, more than one month after the voluntary recall was announced.”
Investigators determined that the stores purchased the hamburgers from the following distributors: Associated Group Grocers of Jamaica, NY; Burris Foods Inc. of Milford, DE; and Jetro Cash and Carry of Jersey City, NJ. They had previously identified Greater New York Frozen Food Distribution Company Inc., of Queens, NY, as one of the distributors.
Subpoenas were also issued in an effort to determine which additional stores have the frozen hamburger patties, as well as when the product was delivered and what steps were taken to inform customers of the hamburger recall.
The recalled hamburgers are sold under the Topps brand name as well as Butcher’s Best, Kohler Foods, Mike’s, Pathmark, Rastelli’s Fine Foods, Roma-Topps, Sam’s Choice, Sand Castle, ShopRite and West Side. All recalled products will have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748 on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA logo. The recalled products have a “sell by date” or “best if used by date” that falls between September 25, 2007, and September 25, 2008.
Stores and consumers are urged to check freezers for any remaining packages of frozen hamburgers subject to the recall.
For more information about E. coli food poisoning, please see About E. coli and E. coli Symptoms and Complications.
The Law Firm of Eric Weinberg represents victims of recent E. coli food poisoning outbreaks. If you or a loved one has 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 see Free Case Evaluation. To learn more about the Law Firm of Eric Weinberg, please see Food Poisoning Lawyer or E. coli Lawyer.
For recent food poisoning outbreak and food recall news, please see Salmonella Restaurant Outbreak, Pizza Recall, and Giardia Water Boil Notice.
November 9th, 2007
A Monroe, Iowa, teenager died on Friday at a Des Moines hospital, where she had been taken with complications of E. coli food poisoning.
The source of the E. coli that infected Kayla Boner, 14, is not known. The Jasper County Health Department is investigating.
Six cases of E. coli food poisoning had been reported in October to the Polk County Health Department, which is still investigating. Among those six were a 16-month-old girl and a 17-month-old boy who attended the same daycare center.
Boner had developed flu-like symptoms two weeks ago, according to Dave Edwards, a family friend and Boner’s former basketball and softball coach. When she became sicker, her family took to her to the hospital.
Boner’s kidney began to shut down, and on Wednesday she started to have seizures, Edwards said. He added that the following day her lungs began to fill with fluids and her brain swelled.
“She affected a lot of people,” Edwards said with regard to Boner.
Symptoms of E. coli food poisoning include severe abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea. The diarrhea may become bloody and can lead to dehydration. Complications of E. coli food poisoning may include Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a serious medical condition that occurs in about 2%-7% of cases. HUS is characterized by destruction of red blood cells, damage to the lining of blood vessel walls, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are often required.
For more information about E. coli food poisoning, please see About E. coli and E. coli Symptoms and Complications.
The Law Firm of Eric H. Weinberg represents victims of recent E. coli food poisoning outbreaks. If you or a loved one has 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 fill out a Free Case Evaluation form. To learn more about the Law Firm of Eric Weinberg, please see Food Poisoning Lawyer or E. coli Lawyer.
November 4th, 2007
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