Posted on May 15, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Summer brings many different sensations. The warm wind pushing your hair aside, the tickling grass between your bare feet, the warmth of a setting sun against your back, and the various smells and tastes of summertime favorites like s'mores, grilled hot dogs, and ice cream all comfort us through these three months.

These same comfort foods can also cause us to suffer harm if they are contaminated with dangerous bacteria. Ice cream, a particular summertime favorite for millions of Americans, is susceptible to developing Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous bacteria that can cause the individual who consumes the contaminated ice cream to become ill. The illness caused by this bacteria is also known as a staph infection. Staph infections can have serious side effects for an affected individual and require medical attention to remedy. If you or your child suffers from a staph infection or any other type of food poisoning, seek a doctor's attention as soon as possible.

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 Posted on May 08, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Foods and related products are recalled all the time. Sometimes, a recall happens as a preventative measure after a manufacturer finds a defect in a crop or a shipment of items. Other times, a recall does not happen until consumers, sometimes hundreds, become ill from eating an affected food product. In other cases still, a recall is issued not because of a fear of contamination, but because the product was not produced according to industry- or federally-imposed regulations.

One of the best ways you can protect yourself and your family from succumbing to food poisoning is keeping yourself aware of the current food recalls issued by the Food and Drug Administration or the United States Department of Agriculture. Some of the most recent food recalls to note include:

Greencore USA Wraps and Salads

Greencore USA produces wraps and salads that are sold at various retailers, including Starbucks and Turkey Hill stores. A recent shipment of the products was recalled because it was produced outside of production hours, without federal inspection.

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 Posted on May 01, 2016 in Food Poisoning

When dangerous bacteria is found in food, that food's manufacturer issues a recall as soon as possible to contain the bacteria and prevent any further cases of consumers falling ill with food poisoning after eating it. You can stay up-to-date about the latest food recalls by visiting recalls.gov.

Recalls are not always due to harmful bacteria found in food. Sometimes, non-edible materials make their way into food products during processing, which can harm consumers if they are eaten. This happened recently, when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that “extraneous materials,” which included wood, plastic, and metal, were found in samples of cooked chicken products from manufacturer Pilgrim's Pride. These products were sold under various labels, such as Pierce, Sweet Georgia, and Golden Kist Farms, in stores across the United States. The chicken products were also served in schools. Pilgrim's Pride recalled more than 4.5 million pounds of its products, which included breaded chicken nuggets, chicken patties, tenderloins, and popcorn chicken.

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 Posted on April 24, 2016 in Hepatitis

A victim can fall ill from eating nearly any type of food. Generally, meats and dairy products are the culprit, especially when they have not been stored or prepared correctly. But vegetables, fruits, and grains can also harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause victims to suffer from various types of food poisoning.

One example is the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A in Canada. At least 13 people have developed Hepatitis A after consuming frozen bags of Nature's Touch Organic Berry Cherry blend from Costco stores. In response, Costco recalled the product from its stores in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Five had to be hospitalized because of the illness.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Unlike other types of food poisoning, which can begin to show symptoms hours or days after the victim consumed the contaminated food, symptoms of Hepatitis A often do not appear until two weeks after the victim has come into contact with the pathogen. This can make it very difficult for a victim to accurately determine where he or she contracted the illness, which can mean that many more people were actually affected by the contaminated berries than the number who reported that they had fallen ill.

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 Posted on April 18, 2016 in Food Poisoning

We could be on the brink of a world where the number of food poisoning cases reported is dramatically decreased, if a new test being developed in South Korea reaches the point of being commercially available. The test, a paper strip that is exposed to food and then dipped in a chemical solution that produces visible results, is simple enough that supermarket and restaurant employees can perform it without any specialized training. This can potentially be a huge breakthrough in food safety and keeping consumers safe.

Currently, detecting dangerous pathogens in food samples requires substantial training for workers and the use of complex laboratory machinery. It is often too much work for a food distributor or retailer to feasibly perform, so instead, food suppliers rely on safe preparation and storage methods to prevent the development and spread of dangerous bacteria in their products.

Benefits and Drawbacks of a New Paper Test

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 Posted on April 14, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Even if you take all the necessary precautions in your own kitchen, you cannot eliminate your risk of contracting food poisoning from contaminated food in other people's homes and at restaurants and other food vendors. It is unrealistic to think that you could completely eliminate this risk by only consuming food you prepared yourself for the rest of your life and even if you were to take this route, it is possible to become ill because of bacteria that contaminated the food you purchase at the farm where it was grown, the distribution center where it was packed, at the store where it was sold, or at another point in the supply chain.

So what can you do if you find yourself suffering from the symptoms of salmonellosis, listeriosis, or another type of foodborne illness? In most healthy individuals, food poisoning resolves itself within a few days and does not require medical attention. Suffering from food poisoning can be painful and inconvenient, but unless you are pregnant, elderly, have a compromised immune system, or you are the parent of a young child who is suffering from food poisoning, you most likely do not need to contact your doctor unless your symptoms are failing to subside.

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 Posted on March 24, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Fast-casual, Mexican-themed eatery Chipotle has had quite a year in terms of negative publicity. After being linked to multiple food poisoning outbreaks in 2015 and 2016, the company has been making publicized changes to how it handles and stores its food in an effort to win customers back. It has also had numerous promotions, giving away free burritos and guacamole, in an effort to alter its image in the eyes of its fans.

How can a company really prove that it has taken steps to avoid another food poisoning outbreak? Consumers can be difficult to persuade, and scandals can stay with a company for years. For example, many still remember the 1993 E.coli outbreak that was linked to Jack in the Box hamburger patties and associate the restaurant's name with food poisoning. To rebuild its image, Chipotle and any company in a similar position needs to work hard to prove that it puts its consumers' safety first.

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 Posted on March 19, 2016 in Food Poisoning

Spring is right around the corner and for many families in the United States, this means it is time to celebrate Easter. An Easter celebration would not be complete without dyed Easter eggs. Easter eggs are nearly always hard boiled, but do not think that this means they cannot carry harmful bacteria. When eggs are not cooked to a safe temperature or they are stored improperly, Salmonella can develop within them and put those who consume the eggs at risk of becoming ill.

Salmonella is a type of food poisoning that can become serious in individuals with weak immune systems, such as young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. For others, Salmonella usually resolves itself within a few days. When Salmonella symptoms appear in an at-risk individual or fail to subside in an individual with a strong immune system, it is important for that individual to receive medical attention as soon as possible. Untreated salmonella can lead to complications like dehydration, bacteremia, and reactive arthritis.

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 Posted on March 09, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

By the time the source of a food poisoning outbreak is determined, acknowledged, and publicized, usually hundreds or even thousands of victims or more have been exposed to the dangerous bacteria. This is especially true if the outbreak is linked to a popular or widely-distributed food product. This is currently happening with the Listeria outbreak linked to Dole prepackaged salads, which has affected 18 people in nine states: Indiana, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. The first reports of illness linked to the salads were made in the summer of 2015, with more coming in during the following months, right up to January 2016.

All 18 of the victims affected by this outbreak, one of whom was a pregnant woman, were hospitalized. The victims ranged in age from three to 83 years old. In Canada, 11 people were affected by the outbreak, three of whom died of complications related to the infection.

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 Posted on March 04, 2016 in Food poisoning attorney

In an earlier blog post, we discussed the Salmonella virchow outbreak linked to Garden of Life meal replacement shakes. Since the time of that blog post, the number of people affected by the outbreak has risen to 18 and spread across 15 states.

Dangerous strains of bacteria that cause food poisoning are not always easy to contain. Sometimes, it is because it is difficult to find the source of the bacteria and other times it is because more foods or products were affected by the bacteria than initially thought. In this case, Garden of Life had to expand its product recall to include more products after people continued to fall ill after its initial recall. The first recall was made in January 2016, followed by an expanded recall in mid-February. The first case of Salmonella linked to Garden of Life's products was reported in Otero County, New Mexico. Since then, reports of illnesses linked to the shake powder have come in from Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

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