
In most cases, food poisoning occurs because of an individual or group's negligence. This can be a restaurant failing to maintain a sterile kitchen environment, a produce manufacture failing to clean produce thoroughly before packaging it, a grocery store failing to remove a recalled product from its shelves, or even the host of a party leaving food at room temperature for hours, allowing harmful bacteria to develop in it. These are all examples of ignorance around food safety or callous handling of food products.
Sometimes, food poisoning is the result of a much more sinister behavior: intentional tampering. Recently, a man in California was arrested and charged with food tampering after he was observed pouring an unknown substance on two self-service food bars on surveillance videos from a Baht Fresh Mexican Grill and a Raley's grocery store. His actions are believed to be the cause of a few cases of food poisoning, one of which caused a 12-year-old victim to be hospitalized. This came after a similar incident in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where a man was found guilty of intentionally tampering with food by spraying mouse poison on fresh produce and on dishes at hot food bars.
When Food Tampering Occurs, Who is Liable for Victims' Damages?
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