Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with Goya Foods, Inc., has announced a precautionary recall of 14 ounce packages of Frozen Mamey Pulp after seven cases of Typhoid, a foodborne illness, in two western states.

The recalled pulp was distributed in western states at retail outlets including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that five of the people that came ill with typhoid drank smoothies or milkshakes prepared with frozen mamey fruit pulp. Four of the victims used the pulp made by Goya Foods.

The FDA tested sample packages of the product and found that one tested positive for the bacteria that causes typhoid.

Typhoid fever is caused by the Salmonella tyhia bacteria. It is transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacteria.

Symptoms of Typhoid fever include a fever that progressively increases, profuse sweating, gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Complications of typhoid can include intestinal hemorrhage, peritonitis, encephalitis and dehydration.

Typhoid can kill if it is not treated. Antibiotics are the general course of treatment including rehydration therapy.

For more information contact Goya at 1-800-275-4692 or see the FDA's web-site.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people with serious injury due to foodborne illness and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that almost one in 25 outbreaks of foodborne illness such as salmonella, norovirus and E-coli can be linked to fresh guacamole or salsa served by restaurants and delis.

Guacamole and salsa are more easily contaminated than some foods because they contain ingredients that come from many sources and they also contain many raw ingredients. If they are not prepared using sanitary prep conditions and if they are not properly refrigerated, bacteria has a chance to grow. Both dishes are made in large batches, so even a small amount of bacteria can infect many diners.

According to the CDC, in 20008, more than 1,400 people were sickened by salmonella and the source of the outbreak was traced back to Serrano and jalapeño peppers used in salsa. The CDC note that outbreaks of foodborne disease due to salsa come from the commercially prepared salsas that one purchases at grocery stores but from homemade salsas prepared at restaurants and delis.

Foodborne illness can cause vomiting, acute stomach cramping and diarrhea. In some cases, victims require hospitalization. In extreme cases, some victims suffer severe complications such as kidney disease.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have become seriously ill due to foodborne illness and the family of those who have died.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Source:
CDC.gov
Salsa and Guacamole Increasingly Important Causes of Foodborne Disease
July 12, 2010

Quality Food Centers (QFC) has issued a recall of their Broccoli Raisin Salad that they sold by the pound in the deli service department on July 10th.

According to the recall notice, the salad may contain walnuts though walnuts are not listed as an ingredient on the product label. Some people are severely allergic to walnuts and ingestion of the nut may cause a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction.

QFC says the salad was sold in stores in Oregon and Washington . QFC has offered to provide a refund or a replacement product.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have become sickened because of dangerous products including those that cause foodborne illness. For more information, see the QFC web-site.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seven people who came sickened due to salmonella illness all attended the Sasquatch music festival over the Memorial Day weekend reports Grant County health officials.

Health officials have not determined the source of the bacteria at this time. Salmonella is a foodborne illness which can be transferred between humans and also animals. Salmonella infections, however, usually occur when people consume foods in which the bacteria is in high concentration. It is often found in fowl or other meats that have not been correctly prepared and in raw eggs.

Every year, approximately 142,000 Americans become infected with salmonella and approximately 30 die.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been become seriously ill due to foodborne illness and the family of those who have died.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Dr. Mark Larson of the Kittitas County Public Health department says that two Ellensburg daycare centers have been temporarily closed after five children were sickened with E-coli illness.

According a report by Seattle PI.com, the daycare centers were closed after several children who attended the centers became ill. One child who did not attend one of the centers was hospitalized with the illness but has since recovered. The decision to temporarily close the centers was one way to halt the person-to-person transmission of the illness.

E-coli is a food-borne and feces-borne illness that can be transmitted when people do not follow proper sanitation and hand washing procedures. It can also be transmitted through undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized juices and cured meat.

The elderly and the young and people with compromised immune symptoms are especially susceptible to serious side effects of the illness.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious illness due to food-borne illness including E-coli and salmonella.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Washington State Department of Early Learning has revoked the license of Hazel Dell in-home daycare in Vancouver, Washington where four-year-old Ronan Wilson contracted E-coli in April and subsequently died reports The Seattle Times.

Several children and adults all became ill because of the E-coli O157:H7 bacteria they contracted at the daycare. Ronan was sickened and hospitalized for about a week before he died.

Diane and Larry Fletch had operated Hazel Dell for more than 20 years. Larry Fletch said that he and his wife will appeal the state's decision.

E-coli O157:H7 is one of the most deadly forms of the E-coli bacteria. It can be spread from undercooked meat, salamis or other cured meats, contaminated raw vegetables, or in unpasteurized milk or fruit juice. It can be passed from person-to-person when proper hand washing protocol is not followed after using the bathroom or changing a diaper.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are approximately 60 deaths every year in the United States attributed to E-coli O157:H7.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have developed serious illness due to food borne disease including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).

The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in investigating and reviewing claims for serious injuries and illness sustained as a result of food poisoning which could have been prevented.  If you, a friend or family member have been diagnosed with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), kidney damage or other serious injury as a result of E-coli food contamination, contact us for a free case evaluation.

Winco Foods with stores in Federal Way, Vancouver, Kennewick, Kent, Longview, Marysville, Puyallup, Richland, Spokane, Spokane Valley and Vancouver, Washington has issued a recall of all fresh ground beef packed in Styrofoam trays with March 28, 2010 through April 9, 2010 sale dates because of possibility of E-coli contamination.

An independent lab and a state of California lab tested samples of the meat and found that it had been contaminated with the E-coli bacteria. No illness from the bacteria has been reported reports The Seattle Times.

E-coli is a bacterium that can be found in meat products and hamburgers and can cause illness and even death in some people. Symptoms of a foodborne illness usually occur between several hours to a few days after consuming a food. Symptoms can include dehydration, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and or vomiting.

This information is provided by The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have become seriously ill due to foodborne illness.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

One child has died and three other children are recovering from E-coli O157:h7 infections that they apparently contacted at a Vancouver-area daycare center reports The Columbian.

An unnamed licensed Clark County daycare which all of the ill children attended has been closed until the precise cause of the infection has been identified.

According to the report, all four children who contracted the E-coli illness were hospitalized. The first child that became ill was hospitalized on March 19 and the other three around that time. Elizabeth Winter of the Washington state Department of Early Learning said the child who died was a 4-year-old boy reports The Oregonian.

All of the employees and children associated with the daycare were tested for the E-coli bacteria including 22 children and 4 adults; results of the tests found that six of those tested carried the E-coli bacteria but were asymptomatic.

Clark County health officer Dr. Alan Melnic said that it is believed that the children contracted the illness through person-to-person transmission. E-coli bacteria lives in the digestive tract of animals and humans but it can be transmitted when proper hand washing and sanitation procedures are not followed.

E-coli O157:h7 is one of the deadliest forms of the bacteria because it can cause hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a life threatening condition.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously ill due to food-borne illness and the family of those who have died. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Business Journal reports that The Big Fresno Fair has agreed to a settlement of $2.2 million to Angela Malos because the girl was sickened with E-coli after visiting the petting zoo at the fair in October 2005.

Malos, who is now 6 years old, suffered kidney failure and strokes because of E-coli infection.

In addition to the settlement by the Fair, United Site Services, who supplies wash stations outside of the zoo has will pay Malos $50,000.

E-coli O157:H7 is a form of E-coli bacterium which can cause severe illness including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a life-threatening condition. Every year, there are approximately 60 deaths in the U.S. due to E-coli O157:H7.

E-coli is often transmitted through food including undercooked beef, unpasteurized dairy and fruit juices, contaminated raw vegetables and salamis and other cured meats.

Symptoms of food borne illness can include stomach cramping, severe and bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and dehydration.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have serious illness due to food borne illness including salmonella and E-coli.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Safeway stores in the west have issued a voluntary recall of potato salad because of possible salmonella contamination reports The Seattle Times.

Safeway asks that consumers discard the product or return them for a refund. The potato salad is manufactured by Reser's Fine Foods.

Salmonella is a foodborne illness which can cause serious illness. People can be infected by salmonella through consumption of unclean food, excretions from sick or infected people and animals, polluted or standing water, thawed fowl and through reptiles. Salmonella can be found in poultry, cattle, sheep and food including meats and raw eggs.

Foodborne illness can be especially serious to the elderly, young children, pregnant women and those with compromised immune symptoms.

Symptoms can include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured by foodborne illness and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The New York Times reports that Nestlé corporation has shut down its Danville, Virginia plant because traces of E-coli has been found in two samples of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough.

Nestlé plans to keep the plant closed until it takes measures like changing its recipe and production processes to insure that E-coli cannot survive. Nestlé will now test all ingredients for the cookie dough as they enter the plant.

After last summer's cookie dough recall, Nestlé has been testing every batch of cookie dough for E-coli O157:H7 bacteria, the most potentially deadly form of the bacteria.

E-coli can cause severe illness and the most vulnerable patients can have severe illness including kidney failure and other potentially life-threatening symptoms.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been serious illness due to foodborne illness including E-coli and salmonella food poisoning.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Burnt Ridge Orchards located in Onalaska, Washington, is recalling just under 100 pounds of shelled hazelnuts sold between Nov. 17 and Dec. 14 at the Olympia Farmers Market for fear of salmonella contamination reports The Olympian.

The recall comes after routine testing made by the Food and Drug Administration at the shelling company. The unnamed processing company has halted the nut processing until the FDA finds the source of the contamination.

Salmonella is a type of food borne illness that can cause from mild to serious illness in affected people. Outbreaks of salmonellosis has made the news in the past few years because of contaminated ice cream and bags of spinach.

In cases of severe illness, a victim may seek the aid of a personal injury attorney who specializes in food borne illness. A knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney can work to obtain compensation for medical expenses and for pain and suffering. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing victims and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Everett HeraldNet.com reports that two Everett women -- Sally Ring and Jean Jubie -- have filed lawsuits against the Ixtapa restaurant in Lake Stevens claiming that their illness was caused from E-coli, a form of food poisoning, contracted by eating at the restaurant. Last year a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Alison Riojas, age 9, who also contracted E-coli.

Ring's and Jubie's lawsuits did not specify damages but they are asking for medical and other expenses. Ring was treated at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett for her illness. Jubie was hospitalized for two days at the same hospital for gastrointestinal bleeding, colitis and dehydration.

E-coli is a bacterium that can be found in meat products and hamburger. Foodborne illness can cause a lifetime of health problems and kills approximately 5,000 people in the US every year. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems experience the worst symptoms but even for the healthy, E-coli can be "no walk in the park." Victims often have to be hospitalized for dehydration and other complications.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have serious illness due to foodborne illness. Contact us and we will work to help you obtain the compensation you deserve for medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

We are glad to see that Issaquah-based Costco is taking a lead in food safety by checking beef trimmings for E-coli before they grind it into hamburger. Costco is one of the few meat grinders to test ingredients for E-coli and other pathogens as they arrive at its plant reports an article in The Seattle Times.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has encouraged testing practices like Costco's to ensure that hamburger is safe to eat. Costco has recently reached an agreement with Tyson foods which allows Costco to test the meat trimmings that Tyson provides to Costco.

According to The Times, hamburger patties made by meat processor Cargill was responsible for 16 outbreaks of E-coli O157:H7 since 2007. This type of E-coli can have serious healthy consequences which can be irreversible or result in death.

Foodborne illness including E-coli and salmonella sicken hundreds of thousands of people every year and kill about 5,000 people. Safety by food handlers and manufacturers is paramount to keep people safe.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious illness due to a foodborne disease because of the negligence of a food handler, you should contact a personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing food poisoning victims and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest lists the top 10 foods regulated by the FDA that provide the greatest risk of causing foodborne illness. The irony of this list is that many of the foods on the list have the most nutritive value. Foodborne illnesses are usually caused by pathogens such as Salmonella and E-coli O157:H7 and less common pathogens including Campylobacter, Scornbrotoxi, Norovirus and Vibrio. Illness caused by these pathogens can be mild such as stomach pain and diarrhea or serious illness such as kidney failure or death.

List of Riskiest Foods

These 10 foods are responsible for 40% of all foodborne illness outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods since 1990. The number of reported cases is based on data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and collected between 1990 to 2006.

1. Leafy greens - 13,568 reported cases of illness
2. Eggs - 11,163 reported cases of illness
3. Tuna - 2, 341 reported cases of illness
4. Oysters - 3,409 reported cases of illness
5. Potatoes - 3,659 reported cases of illness
6. Cheese - 2,761 reported cases of illness
7. Ice cream - 2,594 reported cases of illness
8. Tomatoes - 3,292 report cases of illness
9. Sprouts - 2,022 reported cases of illness
10. Berries - 3,397 reported cases of illness

One has to realize that this data only relates to reported and investigated cases. Most people do not seek treatment by a physician for a foodborne illness nor do they have the testing which is required to determine the cause of the illness. There, these cases reported are only a sampling of the actual number of people who became ill. Health officials estimate that unsafe food causes more than 10 million illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths in the United States each year.

See the complete CSPI Report.

If you or a loved one have become severely ill due to a foodborne illness, or a loved one has died, you should contact a personal injury attorney with experience in representing food poisoning victims and their families. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing foodborne illness victims and helping them obtain compensation for their medical costs and damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's King.5 reports that residents of the Riverbend community near North Bend, Washington have been advised to boil their tap water before using it to brush teeth, cook, wash dishes or make ice. The Washington State Department of Health made the advisement after it was found that the tap water may be contaminated with E-coli.

E-coli is a food or water-borne bacteria which can cause severe illness in people. Symptoms of a foodborne illness may include dehydration, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea and severe abdominal cramping.

Most people recover quickly from an infection of E-coli, however, in some cases it is known to cause severe illness and life-threatening complications. In the young, the very old and people with weakened immune systems, E-coli can require the victim to be hospitalized. Severe complications can include HUS kidney failure which causes a victim's kidneys to shut down.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of E-coli whose illness has caused severe health issues including lengthy hospitalizations. In cases where E-coli infection can be linked back to negligence in the manufacturing, distribution or food service, victims may have recourse and be able to obtain compensation for their damages. We provide a free and confidential case evaluation.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Tapps Island Association along with the Washington State Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water has advised Tapps residents to boil their drinking water after testing confirmed the presence of E-coli bacteria in the water.

According to a report in >The Tacoma News Tribune, the association supplies 535 homes on the island and 10 off the island with treated well water.Residents are advised to use bottled water or boil water before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, dish washing, making ice and preparing food.

E-coli bacteria can make people including abdominal cramping and severe diarrhea. At this time, there are no reports of illness.

The association said chlorine will be added to the entire water system and then the system will be flushed out.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber law Group. We represent people who have become seriously ill due to foodborne illness such as E-coli and salmonella. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries including medical costs, loss of wages and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a case consultation.

Consumer advocates are urging the Food and Drug Administration to place more oversight on bottled water. In a hearing before the Energy and Commerce Committee, consumer advocates asked that FDA force water bottlers to provide more information to consumers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Bottled water is a $11.2 billion industry. Many consumers believe that bottled water is safer than most tap water. An organization, Think Outside the Bottle, says that the bottled industry has undermined people's confidence in municipal tap water systems.

However, the bottled water industry is not as regulated as the municipal water departments. By September, the bottled water corporations will be required to "report test results that show a serious health threat." By December, they must eliminate E-coli from their product.

Representative Bart Stupak, chairman f the Energy and Commerce Committee said, "Many American believe that water they drink from a bottle is healthier than water that comes from their faucets. Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water."

In fact, there have been bacterial and chemical contamination problems with bottled water in the past few years. Bottled water producers often use words like "spring" and "pure" to advertise their water. Often times these water products come from a municipal tap or pumped from a well.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been injured by dangerous products and those who have become ill because of food borne illness like E-coli.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Costco, the Issaquah-based big box store, is sending letters to customers who purchased JBS steaks, ribs and ground beef between April 28th and May 28th after the meat has been linked to E-coli infection in 23 people across nine states. Costco is asking that customers return all affected products still in consumer's possession to Costco for a full refund.

Specific information about the recall can be found on the JBS Swift web-site at www.jbsswift.com.

The Centers for Disease Control says they have linked 23 cases of E-coli infection to JBS beef. Of the 23 people who have become ill, 12 people have had to be hospitalized and two people have developed the serious and sometimes deadly HUS kidney condition.

It is costly and sometimes difficult to sue for damages after cases of E-coli infection. However, patients who develop severe kidney problems, which may be a life-long condition, may be able to obtain compensation for damages it there was negligence in the food preparation or handling of the food product.

If you or a loved one has become seriously ill due to a foodborne illness, contact The Farber Law Group to discuss your case. We have successfully obtained compensation for victims of E-coli illness. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Nestlé USA's Baking division has issued a recall of Nestlé® TOLL HOUSE® refrigerated cookie dough products after there have been reports of people sickened with E-coli 0157:H7 , a foodborne pathogen, after eating the raw cookie dough.

The Food and Drug Administration says that the strain of E-coli has not been detected in the product but due to health and safety concern, the company is voluntarily recalling the products.

The FDA advises people that raw cookie dough should never be eaten and that message is written on the product packaging.

Washington State Department of Health said that they believe five people in our state have been made ill by the cookie dough and two of those five had to be hospitalized.

The recall includes all varieties of Nestlé TOLL HOUSE refrigerated Cookie Bar Dough, Cookie Dough Tub; Cookie Dough Tube; Limited Edition Cookie Dough items; Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookie Bar Dough.

Escherichia coli (E-coli) O157:H7 is a food-borne bacterium which can cause severe illness including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a life threatening-condition which can cause permanent kidney damage, life long health problems and even death. Every year there are approximately 60 deaths in the United states caused by E-col O157:H7.

Signs and symptoms of severe symptoms include severe and acute bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramping.

People who have become seriously ill because a negligence during the manufacturing or product packaging are entitled to file a civil suit to ask for compensation for damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has become seriously ill due to a foodborne illness such as salmonella and E-coli, you should contact a personal injury attorney who has experience in representing people with serious illness because of food contamination.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.