Posted on December 04, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

During the holiday season, churches and charitable organizations across the country host meals and social gatherings for the residents of their communities, particularly those residents who do not have close friends or relatives to visit for holiday celebrations. These gatherings are often organized and staffed by volunteers who, despite having kind intentions, do not always have the food handling skills necessary to safely serve others. Food may be kept at room temperature on long buffets to ensure that all guests have the chance to eat at these celebrations, potentially fostering harmful bacteria.

In November 2016, a community church in California hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon using food donated from local restaurants. Approximately 800 people attended the event. In the days that followed, eight of the attendees were admitted to local hospitals with food poisoning symptoms. Of the eight, three died.

Food Poisoning Compilations Can Be Deadly

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 02, 2016 in Food Poisoning

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.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 20, 2016 in Food borne illness

The terms “food poisoning” and “foodborne illness” are frequently used interchangeably online and in face-to-face conversations. Generally, they are understood to refer to the same thing, but the truth is that they actually refer to two distinct concepts. Foodborne illness is any illness caused by eating contaminated food. It can occur after consuming food contaminated with harmful bacteria or other pathogens. Food poisoning is a specific subset of foodborne illness. When an individual suffers from food poisoning, he or she suffers from the effects of consuming specific toxins.

If you experience symptoms of foodborne illness, keep yourself hydrated and get a sufficient amount of rest. In most cases, food poisoning and other types of foodborne illness can only be treated with rest, hydration, and avoiding certain foods while recovering. If you experience worsened symptoms or complications like dehydration, seek medical attention.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 13, 2016 in Food Poisoning

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have linked a recent outbreak of Hepatitis A to frozen strawberries imported to the country by the International Company for Agricultural Production and Processing (ICAPP). The strawberries were received at five distribution centers throughout the nation and sold under various regional brand names. In October 2016, ICAPP recalled the strawberries, but by then, they might have reached consumers and could have been part of food service operations as late as early November 2016. As of late October 2016, 130 people reported suffering from Hepatitis A after possibly consuming the strawberries.

Hepatitis A, like many other types of food poisoning, can have serious complications for a victim, such as reduced liver function. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis A that can protect a patient for up to one year.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 05, 2016 in Food borne illness

At first glance, you might think you misread the title of this blog post. For most of us, washing food is the natural next step before seasoning and cooking it. Conventional wisdom says that this is the way to remove harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. With most foods, this is correct. But with raw poultry, washing simply splashes juices from the bird and bacteria around the sink and countertop, creating an atmosphere in which they can be spread to other foods and onto guests' hands.

So, what should you do with the turkey? Cook it to a safe internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This will kill any harmful bacteria in the turkey. To determine whether your turkey has reached a safe internal temperature, stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Another way you can make your turkey safer this Thanksgiving is to avoid stuffing it before putting it into the oven. When stuffing is cooked inside a turkey, it absorbs the meat's juice. Rarely, the stuffing reaches a safe internal temperature, which means that it can harbor dangerous bacteria even if the meat does not. To enjoy safe stuffing this year, cook the stuffing separately and add it to the turkey while it rests after being cooked.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 31, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

Every season has its traditional foods. In the winter, many people opt for carb-heavy, stick-to-your-ribs meals like baked pastas and stews. In the spring, picnic foods often become popular, followed by barbecue and frozen treats in the summer. Autumn is no different. For many Americans, the fall is the season of apples and apple products, Halloween candy, and an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner.

When you plan your fall celebrations this year, keep food safety in mind. Although you cannot control how food purchased from restaurants and food served at celebrations hosted by others was handled and prepared, you can take steps to reduce the chance of anybody contracting food poisoning from entrees and snacks that leave your kitchen.

Even Packaged Candy Can Be Dangerous

If you are a parent, you probably know to check your children's Halloween candy thoroughly after they bring it in from a night of trick-or-treating. Although this is often suggested as a way to eliminate candy that has been tampered with, it is also a way to get rid of any candy that appears to be spoiled or contaminated with foreign material. Candy with torn or damaged wrappers should be tossed in the trash, as should homemade goods like brownies or cookies. Although it can be a nice gesture to make homemade treats for trick-or-treaters, there is no way for a parent to know how the ingredients and treats were handled and stored in their maker's kitchen.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 22, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

In Iowa, food poisoning victims have a new resource to turn toward for help: IowaSic, the new statewide food poisoning hotline. This hotline is a joint initiative between the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. The hotline is intended to help these agencies identify potential food poisoning outbreaks in the state before they occur.

This hotline was developed after 127 people in Iowa, Nebraska, and the surrounding states fell ill during the 2013 Cyclospora outbreak. According to Dr. Patricia Quinlisk of the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa was the first state to identify the cause of that outbreak, which allowed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Food and Drug Administration to take action to contain it. If IowaSic had existed in 2013, the outbreak could potentially have been contained sooner. If IowaSic proves to be a successful way of managing and preventing food poisoning outbreaks, other states could follow suit in the future by developing their own hotlines. Currently, Chicago food poisoning victims can make reports to Foodborne Chicago, a website that provides resources to victims. Nationwide, victims can make reports to foodsafety.gov.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 16, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Recent research from McMaster University found that individuals who have suffered from food poisoning may be at a greater risk of developing Crohn's Disease than individuals who have not suffered from food poisoning. The findings were published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

The research indicates that a heightened risk of developing Crohn's Disease could be a long-term complication of food poisoning, but this is not the only long-term complication food poisoning victims can face. Organ damage is another complication that a food poisoning victim can suffer. If you suffer from complications that result in substantial financial damages as a result of preventable food poisoning, you could be entitled to receive monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. Work with a personal injury lawyer who has specific experience pursuing food poisoning claims to seek the compensation you need for your medical bills and other damages if you are in this situation.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 09, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

Sometimes, food poisoning occurs as the result of a foreign particle in the victim's food, rather than due to the presence of harmful bacteria like Salmonella or Listeria. In certain cases, the cause of illness is the bacteria that enters the food through these foreign particles and in other cases, the victim suffers a unique type of illness or injury due to the specific contaminant. In any case of food poisoning or a contaminant-related injury, medical attention should be sought in a timely manner if the victim's symptoms do not resolve on their own within a few days or if the victim is pregnant, a young child, elderly, or otherwise has a weakened immune system.

Chemical Contamination

It is important to note that many foods naturally contain chemicals. In fact, chemicals are all around us, both man-made and naturally occurring. But certain chemicals should not be in certain foods and when they are present in foods, they can pose a threat of illness. Examples of these chemicals include residues of veterinary medicines, pesticides, chemicals present in food packaging, and industrial chemicals from the plants where the foods are processed and packaged.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 02, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

When you read about food poisoning in the news, you probably see a lot of the same causes listed again and again: Meat, leafy vegetables, and dairy products are often the foods mentioned as harboring harmful Listeria, Salmonella, and E.Coli bacteria. These are some of the most common types of food poisoning to occur in the United States and the foods known for causing them.

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report detailing the most common types of food poisoning in the United States and their causes. Below are a few highlights from the report. These four types of bacteria accounted for 75% of the reported food poisoning cases in the United States. Although these are the most common types of food poisoning reported, remember that there are many other types of food poisoning that exist. Familiarize yourself with their symptoms as well to determine if you need to seek medical attention after consuming a contaminated food product.

Continue Reading ››