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- FDA Issues 2009 FDA Food Code11/24/2009
- Melamine-Tainted Candy Found in United States1/26/2009
- FDA To Detain Food Shipments From China Over Concern About Melamine11/13/2008
- Blue Cat Yogurt Drinks Found to Contain Melamine10/3/2008
- Country of Origin Label Law Goes into Effect Nationwide10/3/2008
- Food Poisoning From E Coli Kills 1, Dozens Hospitalized in OK8/29/2008
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Food Poisoning
FDA Issues Warning - Alfalfa Sprouts Infected with Salmonella
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that consumers not eat raw alfalfa sprouts, including sprout blends containing alfalfa sprouts, until further notice because the product has been linked to Salmonella contamination.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses, such as meningitis and bone infections.
The investigation indicates that the problem may be linked to contamination of seeds for alfalfa sprouts. The FDA and CDC are issuing this advisory because suspect lots of seeds may be sold around the country and may account for a large proportion of the alfalfa seeds currently being used by sprout growers, and cases of illness are spread across multiple states.
The CDC, FDA and six state and local authorities have associated this outbreak with eating raw alfalfa sprouts. Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia have reported 31 cases of illness with the outbreak strain of salmonella. Most of those who became ill reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts. Some reported eating raw sprouts at restaurants; others reported purchasing the raw sprouts at the retail level.
The illnesses began in mid-March. Cases are still being reported, and possible cases are in various stages of laboratory testing, so illnesses may appear in other states. No deaths have been reported. The number of infected people may be higher than currently reported because some illnesses have not yet been confirmed with laboratory testing.
Pistachios Recall Due to Salmonella Contamination
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Setton Farms plant in Terra Bella, California has widened its recall of pistachios to raw nuts and all roasted nuts produced in 2008.
Setton Farms recalled roasted pistachio products late last month after routine tests by Kraft Foods found salmonella strains. Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems
The FDA also urges consumers to avoid foods containing pistachios until they can determine whether the products contain pistachios processed at the Setton Farms plant.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the food poisoning attorneys of Pennsylvania for a free consultation.
One Million Pounds of Pistachios Being Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk
Federal announced on Monday, March 30, 3009, that Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, a pistacho processing company based in Terra Bella, Calif., is recalling about one million pounds of pistachio products due to concerns about salmonella contamination. So far, no reported cases of salmonella food poisoning have been tied to the contaminated pistachios. However, federal authorities are currently investigating at least two consumer complaints. The F.D.A. is warning consumers not to eat pistachios until the scope of the contamination has been clarified.The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
FDA Says Production Error at Fault in Pistachio Salmonella Contamination
David Acheson, a top federal food safety official, stated on March 31, 2009, that a basic error on the production lines at Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, California, the nation's second-largest processor of the pistachios, caused its pistachios to be contaminated with salmonella. According to Mr. Acheson, the assistant commissioner for food protection at the FDA, Setton Pistachio ran raw and roasted pistachios through the same machinery on several production lines. Salmonella bacteria can live on raw nuts but is usually killed during the roasting process. Good manufacturing standards require raw nuts to be kept separate from roasted nuts so that bacteria does not spread between the two.The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
FBI Raids Georgia Plant at Fault in Salmonella Outbreak
On Monday, February 9, 2009, agents from the FBI raided the Blakeley, Georgia peanut processing plant linked to the nationwide salmonella outbreak that has caused one of the largest product recalls in U.S. history. The FBI also raided the Lynchburg, Virginia headquarters of the Peanut Corporation of America, the company that owns and operated the Blakeley plant. Monday's searches come three days after FDA investigators said Peanut Corp. knowingly shipped salmonella-laced products from its Georgia plant after tests showed the products were contaminated. Federal law forbids producing or shipping foods under conditions that could make it harmful to consumers' health.The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
Peanut Recall Leads to Criminal Investigation
Federal officials from the FDA and the Justice Department have begun a criminal investigation into the actions of the Peanut Corporation of America, which they said knowingly sold contaminated peanut butter and peanut products to major food makers.The contamination of the company’s products with salmonella bacteria has led to one of the largest food recalls in the nation’s history. More than 400 products containing peanuts, peanut butter or peanut meal have been recalled, and more recalls are expected.
The peanut contamination has now sickened 529 people and is associated with eight deaths.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
FDA Says Peanut Corporation of America Knowingly Shipped Peanut Products Contaminated With Salmonella
An FDA inspection team that recently visited the Blakeley Georgia plant of the Peanut Corporation of America discovered that on 12 occasions in 2007 and 2008 tests conducted by the company found salmonella contamination in its products but that it shipped the contaminated products to customers after a retest found no contamination and did nothing to clean the plant.Meanwhile, more than 400 consumer products, including Jenny Craig nutritional bars and Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, have been recalled, and eight people have died and more than 500 people in 43 states, including Pennsylvania, have been sickened by salmonella poisoning caused by peanut butter and peanut paste sold by the Peanut Corporation of America.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
Peanut Plant was Cited for Many Violations Prior to Salmonella Outbreak
According to health inspection reports, the Blakely, Georgia plant that produced peanut butter tainted by salmonella was cited repeatedly in 2006 and 2007 for having dirty surfaces and grease residue and dirt buildup throughout the plant. In 2008, the plant was repeatedly found to be in violation of cleanliness standards.Inspections of the plant by the Georgia Agriculture Department found areas of rust that could flake into food, gaps in warehouse doors large enough for rodents to get through, unmarked spray bottles and containers and numerous violations of other practices designed to prevent food contamination. The plant, owned by the Peanut Corporation of America of Lynchburg, Va., has now been shut down.
The salmonella outbreak has sickened almost 500 people around the country and is linked to seven deaths. More than 125 products containing peanut butter or peanut paste from the Georgia plant have been recalled. The FDA has created a special website to help the public keep up with the growing list of food products that have been recalled.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food that you purchased at a grocery store, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
U.S. Government to Consumers: Avoid Food Products Made with Peanut Butter or Peanut Paste
The U.S. government is warning consumers to avoid all cookies, cakes, ice cream and crackers made with peanut butter or peanut paste while officials continue to investigate a massive outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning that is has killed six people and sickened at least 485 others across the country.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked this salmonella outbreak to products made with peanut paste and peanut butter manufactured after July 1 in a Georgia factory owned by Peanut Corp. of America. This company supplies peanut butter and paste to long-term-care and other institutions, food service companies and private-label manufacturers that use the products in cookies, cakes, crackers and other foods. None of the peanut products manufactured by Peanut Corp. of America are sold directly to consumers.
Several of the nation's largest retailers and manufacturers are voluntarily recalling products that may contain the contaminated peanut butter or paste. Products recalled include Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies, Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty crackers. A complete list of recalled products is being maintained and updated by the federal government at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food that you purchased at a grocery store, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
Salmonella Strain In King Nut Peanut Butter Found In Connecticut - Genetically Matches The Strain Implicated In The Nationwide Illness Outbreak
Connecticut officials have announced that genetic testing on a 5-lb unopened tub of King Nut peanut butter has produced the first independently confirmed genetic match for the salmonella strain responsible for the 2009 nationwide outbreak. This finding definitively links the peanut butter sample implicated in the recent outbreak back to the manufacturer, Peanut Corporation of America. Salmonella was found previously in an open five-pound tub of King Nut peanut butter in Minnesota. Connecticut's finding, in an unopened tub of peanut butter, is the first sample linking the contamination directly back to the manufacturer. Peanut Corporation of America sells King Nut peanut butter -- through various distributors -- only to food service and food processor accounts. It is not sold directly to consumers. King Nut does not supply any of the ingredients for the peanut butter distributed under its label.FDA has posted on its website a searchable list of products and brands associated with the expanded PCA recall at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm . The list is updated as additional sub-recalls occur and as more information is received from the industry. Consumers are encouraged to first visit FDA's website to learn which commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products are subject to recall. If consumers cannot determine if a certain prepared product contains peanut butter or peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America, the FDA urges that they not consume those products.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food that you purchased at a grocery store, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
How to Keep Up With Growing List of Food Products Recalled Due to Risk of Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Butter
The FDA has created a special website to help the public keep up with the growing list of food products that have been recalled in the wake of the Salmonella peanut butter food poisoning outbreak of 2009. Given the fast pace with which food products are currently being added to the list, it makes sense to check back often.The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food that you purchased at a grocery store, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
FDA Confirms Salmonella Found in Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter
The FDA has confirmed that Salmonella was found in a package of Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter.Food companies and retailers have been recalling products with peanut butter in them because of suspicion of contamination amid a Salmonella outbreak that has killed at least six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states, including Pennsylvania. At least 90 people have been hospitalized.
The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese have led the way in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in food poisoning lawsuits. If you suspect that you contracted your food poisoning from tainted food that you purchased at a grocery store, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation.
FDA Issues Warning on Foods Containing Peanut Butter
Federal health officials are now advising consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other peanut butter-containing foods until more can be learn a deadly outbreak of Salmonella contamination. The warning does not cover peanut butter sold in jars directly to consumers.Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a plant in Blakely, Ga., owned by the Peanut Corporation of America. Its peanut butter is distributed to institutions and food companies but not sold directly to consumers. The peanut paste is an ingredient in cookies, cakes and other products sold in supermarkets around the country.
So far, over 470 people in 43 states, including Pennsylvania, have been sickened in this large salmonella outbreak. At least 90 people have been hospitalized, and at least six deaths have been linked to this outbreak.
The Kellogg Company, which listed the Peanut Corporation as one of its suppliers, has recalled 16 peanut butter-containing products. They include the Austin and Keebler brands of peanut butter sandwich crackers and some snack-size packs of Famous Amos peanut butter cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle peanut butter cookies.
More information is available from the food poisoning attorneys of Pennsylvania.
Nationwide Recall for Peanut Butter
The Peanut Corporation of America has recalled peanut butter made since July 1 at its plant in Blakely, Ga., as two more deaths associated with a major salmonella outbreak were reported. The outbreak has sickened more than 430 people in 43 states. Health officials in Minnesota and Idaho reported that one death in each state has been linked to the outbreak. Another death in Minnesota and two in Virginia were confirmed Tuesday, January 13, 2009. All five deaths were adults who had salmonella when they died. Also, the Kellogg Company has asked stores to stop selling the Austin and Keebler brands of peanut butter crackers because of possible contamination.More information is available from the food poisoning attorneys of Pennsylvania.
Ohio Distributor Recalls Peanut Butter Due to Salmonella Outbreak
King Nut Companies of Solon, Ohio, issued a voluntary recall on January 10, 2009 of all peanut butter distributed under its label and manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America, of Lynchburg, Va. The company also recalled its distribution of Parnell's Pride peanut butter, which is also made by Peanut Corporation. This occurred after the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said they found salmonella bacteria in a container of creamy peanut butter from King Nut.This is part of the salmonella typhimurium outbreak that has sickened nearly 400 people in 42 states from Sept. 3 to Dec. 29, 2008.
More information is available from the food poisoning attorneys of Pennsylvania.
A Dozen Salmonella Typhimurium Cases Linked to Pennsylvania
Of the nearly 400 people sickened across the country in a salmonella outbreak whose origins are still a mystery, about a dozen live in Pennsylvania, and one comes from Butler County in Western Pennsylvania. Other Pennsylvania counties reporting cases are: Bucks, Chester, Clinton, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery and Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania victims range in age from 3 to 73 years old. Most of the infections in the state were confirmed in mid- to late fall, with the latest confirmed Dec. 15, 2008. Nationally, patients have ranged in age from younger than 1 year old to 103 years old. 18 percent of the 372 people who provided data were hospitalized. This salmonella outbreaks involves the salmonella strain called Salmonella typhimurium. It is the same type of salmonella that in 2007 sickened 401 people in 41 states. That outbreak was traced to undercooked not-ready-to-eat Banquet brand frozen pot pies.Check back here frequently for updates on the investigation into this serious salmonella outbreak.
For more information about salmonella, see the attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, Pennsylvania's premier food poisoning law firm.
Salmonella Outbreak January 2009
January 2009 - Another Salmonella OutbreakAn ongoing salmonella outbreak has sickened 388 people in 42 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). At least 67 people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.
The CDC has not released the names of the states involved. However, the Ohio Department of Health says in a news release that there have been 50 cases among residents of that state, making Ohio the state with the second most cases.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saida that it is working closely with the CDC to identify the cause of the outbreak. If the CDC determines that the illnesses were caused by an FDA-regulated product, the FDA will perform a "traceback" investigation to determine the specific product linked to the outbreak and how that product became contaminated.
The salmonella strain is a common one: Salmonella typhimurium. It is the same type of salmonella that in 2007 sickened 401 people in 41 states. A CDC investigation traced the 2007 outbreak to undercooked not-ready-to-eat Banquet brand frozen pot pies.
The recent salmonella outbreak traced to peppers (and possibly tomatoes) was the saintpaul strain, a different type of salmonella.
Previous outbreaks of Salmonella typhimurium have been traced to poultry, raw milk and cheese, and pet turtles.
For more information about salmonella, see the attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, Pennsylvania's premier food poisoning law firm.
FDA Forces Food and Cosmetic Manufacturers to List Cochineal Extract and Carmine as Ingredients
The FDA has finalized a rule that will require food and cosmetic companies to list cochineal extract and carmine on the label when they are used in food and cosmetics. However, the new rule does not require these companies to tell you that these ingredients come from insects. Cochineal extract and carmine, used to dye food, drinks and cosmetics various shades of red, orange, pink and purple, are extracted from the dried bodies of the female cochineal bug.The F.D.A. required these ingredients to be listed in the wake of reports that some people have suffered severe allergic reactions to these insect extracts. The new rule will take effect in 2011.
Food Mislabeling List
As noted in the article published recently in the Chicago Tribune, food manufacturers routinely fail to disclose known allergens contained in their food products. In fact, the investigation revealed that an alarming number of food products sold as allergen-free actually contain harmful amounts of food allergens.What follows is a running list of food mislabeling notices. Check back periodically for updates.
December 2, 2008 -- Mom's Food Products, Inc. of Ft Worth, TX is recalling its Pimento Spread sandwiches with a expiration date of December 15th through the 18th due to the label not declaring an allergen egg yolks. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Click here for more information.
December 5, 2008 -- Louisiana Fish Fry Products of Baton Rouge, LA, is recalling its 6 ounce packages of "Chicken & Fish Bake Seasoned Coating Mix" because they may contain undeclared buttermilk. People who have allergies to milk products run the risk of an allergic reaction if they consume this product. Click here for more information.
December 13, 2008 -- Kashi Company of LaJolla, CA is recalling a limited number of canisters of Kashi GOLEAN Powder Chocolate Energy Shake Mix because they contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The product was distributed to grocery, health food, pharmacy and on-line retailers nationwide. The product is packaged in a 14.8 oz – canister with a bar code of 18627 71000. Canisters with a Better if Used by Date stamped on the bottom of the canister between the dates of JAN 17 2009 and NOV 15 2009 are included in this alert. For more information, click here.
December 23, 2008--Los Angeles, CA--KRC Food Trading Inc recalled its Fish Cake sushi with production date of December 19 and December 22 due to the label not declaring eggs among the ingredients. People with egg allergies or severe sensitivity to eggs would run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction were they to consume this product. For more information, click here.
Tainted Milk May Be the Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn's Disease
According to new research, there may be a direct link between bowel ailments such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn's disease, and Johne's disease, and milk tainted with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP).Currently, there are no regulations in the United States requiring the disposal of milk found to contain MAP. If milk tested on the farm or at a processing plant is found to contain the bacteria, it is still processed and delivered to stores.
Berger & Lagnese is your premier law firm in Pittsburgh and all of Western Pennsylvania for food poisoning cases. If you were the victim of food poisoning contact Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation. Let the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese help you with your food poisoning case.
Chinese Executive Pleads Guilty in Melamine Case
Tian Wenhua, the 66-year-old chairwoman of Sanlu Group, a Chinese dairy company, pleaded guilty to charges of "producing and selling fake or substandard products." It is unclear at present whether she and her accused colleagues could face the death penalty.Melamine, an industrial compound used in making plastic chairs, countertops, plates, flame retardants and even concrete, has been added to food in China, including pet food and baby formula, to cheat nutrition tests due to its high nitrogen content. Several different foods in the United States have tested positive for melamine.
Berger & Lagnese is your premier law firm in Pittsburgh and all of Western Pennsylvania for food poisoning cases. If you were the victim of food poisoning contact Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation. Let the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese help you with your food poisoning case.
Restaurant Inspection Highlights 2008
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the following "highlights" of local restaurant inspections in 2008:
• Mold in an ice machine at Kretzler's Tavern on Babcock Boulevard, a violation noted for three straight years.
• Raw sausage being stored in the same container as ready-to-eat lunch meats at Lupi's Famous Pizza on Babcock Boulevard.
• Eggs, macaroni, potato salad, cheese and lunch meats being stored at unsafe temperatures at Chuck E. Cheese's on McKnight Road. The same problem was found in inspections the previous two years.
• Raw chicken being lifted over cooked pasta contaminating it with raw chicken juices, and a dirty towel resting on top of raw ground meat at the Cheesecake Factory on Ross Park Mall Drive.
• Roaches in the kitchen and dead roaches on food storage shelves at China Star on McKnight Road following similar roach sightings last year.
Berger & Lagnese is your premier law firm in Pittsburgh and all of Western Pennsylvania for food poisoning cases. If you were the victim of food poisoning contact Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation. Let the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese help you with your food poisoning case.
New Food Safety Website Launched
If you are concerned about the safety of the food you eat, you will be pleased to know about a new website dedicated to keeping you informed on food safety issues. The website is called www.usfoodsafety.com. This website has all the latest news and information concerning food poisoning outbreaks and product recalls.Melamine Food Poisoning Addressed in New England Journal of Medicine
The December 25, 2008 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine has an informative article on the global melamine food-poisoning outbreak of 2008. Included in this article is a list of food products that have been withdrawn from the U.S. market due to melamine contamination. This list includes the following products:- White Rabbit candies
- Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits
- Koala March cookies
- Yili Pure Milk
- Yili Sour Milk
- Blue Cat Flavor Drink
- Mr. Brown coffee
- Sweet Time Christmas Dressy Bear chocolates
- Topaz Hazelnut Wafer Rolls candies
Berger & Lagnese is your premier law firm in Pittsburgh and all of Western Pennsylvania for food poisoning cases. If you were the victim of food poisoning contact Berger & Lagnese immediately for a free consultation. Let the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese help you with your food poisoning case.
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