Consumers Fear Injury over Tainted Food Products

Over the past month, there have been some disturbing claims of horsemeat used in European meat supplies that brands such as Burger King, Nestle, Tesco and Ikea have allegedly used for their meat products.  This begs the question, are we at danger for injury of tainted meat products from meat suppliers? In a recent statement, Ikea assured consumers that in their US stores, they only obtained meat from US suppliers.  But our European counterparts are apparently not so lucky, according to the European Union's evidence. 

This year, food safety has certainly come into focus.  As consumers, we have experienced a variety of health scares from various food safety concerns.  Whether it was tainted agricultural products or tainted meat products, consumers have faced injury due to a variety of infectious diseases.  

The Danger of Injury from Tainted Food Products

Whether tainted by foreign animal products or infectious diseases, consumers are vulnerable to injuries from consuming food or food products that are tainted.  Depending upon the nature of the food consumed, consumers could be injured in multiple ways, including:

• infectious disease
• bacterial infections
• loss of balance
• brain problems
• painful urination
• joint pains
• convulsions
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• death

If you've consumed tainted food products, you could be at risk for injury.  In some cases, this even leads to death.  If you have been injured severely due to consuming tainted products, call a skilled product liability attorney to gain the compensation you deserve. Don't take any chances with your health. Call a skilled product liability attorney today.

Consumers Injured Consuming Raw Beef Infected with Salmonella

Food safety has been a growing concern in America and has been a hot button issue for many groups from federal regulators to consumers and special interest groups alike.  With good reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been taking increased action to clean up our food sources.  In order to prevent injury to consumers, these agencies have toughened their stance on food safety issues.

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Production warn that 16 individuals in 5 states have been injured after eating raw beef.  These consumers were injured after consuming a dish called Kibbeh, a traditional Arab dish made of ground raw meat (usually beef, lamb or goat), bulghur, and minced onions. The dish that injured these individuals was served at a restaurant which used meat from Jouni Meats Inc. and Gab Halal Food of Troy, Michigan.  In response, these companies recalled over 1,000 pounds of ground beef last week.

The Danger Raw Beef Poses to Consumers

These 16 consumers were injured after consuming raw beef which was infected with the salmonella Typhimurium, a rare strain of salmonella.  These consumers have been injured to various degrees, with an estimated half of them requiring hospitalization.  Salmonella can infect people who ingest products tainted with the bacteria and can injure people in the following ways:

• gastroenteritis or food poisoning 
• bloody diarrhea
• toxicosis
• sepsis
• salmonella meningitis
• severe dehydration
• death

Consumers who ingest food infected with this dangerous bacteria are at severe risk for injury and dependent upon their existing health condition and other complications, could even be at risk for death.  

If you have been injured by consuming infected food such as this raw beef, you should call your physician immediately.  After you obtain the necessary medical treatment, you should also consider calling a product liability and personal injury attorney.  Depending upon the unique circumstances of your case, you could be entitled to compensation. 

FDA Proposed Food Safety Rules Seek to Prevent 3000 Deaths Per Year

This year, millions of Americans will resolve to lose weight and eat healthier. Some of these people will dive into eating more leafy greens to accomplish those goals. Will they also be at risk for injury and infection with E. Coli?  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a food contamination outbreak from leafy greens in multiple states every year for the past few years.  A recent outbreak is brewing in Ohio, where the Hamilton County Health Department believes it started in a restaurant serving these infected leafy greens. Consumers ingesting these potentially infected leafy greens are warned they may be at risk for injury. 

Soon, if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its way, these food born illnesses and injuries may be a distant memory.  2 years ago, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, which became law.  Over the past 2 years, the FDA has been drafting a revision to food safety and preparation laws which were last updated in the 1930's (prior to industrialized farming and packaging.)  These 1200 pages outline procedures for hygiene, food safety and sanitation procedures. In the next 4 months, the public has a right to respond and weigh in on the proposed rules before they become final.  The FDA is hoping that these updated rules will prevent the estimated 3,000 deaths per year due to food contamination and the 128,000 hospitalizations due to injuries related to food contamination.

The Dangers of Food Contamination 

Human beings are remarkably resilient.  However, despite the daily exposure to millions of germs, we can become sickened and injured when exposed to certain bacterium.  This can include E. Coli, Listeria, and other causes of food born illnesses and injuries. When people are exposed to these bacterium, they can become sick and injured in the following ways:

• vomiting
• diarrhea
• skin lesions
• vision problems
• dehydration
• heart problems due to dehydration and violent vomiting
• death

Given these results, it's clear that food born illnesses can be quite serious for people who ingest contaminated food products. Depending upon the strength of your immune system, you could experience increased risk for injury.  The elderly, children, and pregnant women are in high risk for injury categories due to their often compromised immune systems. 

If You've Been Injured 

If you have eaten a food that made you sick and injured you severely, you should seek immediate medical attention.  You may be entitled to compensation depending upon the nature of your injury and the unique circumstances.  You should call a skilled product liability attorney to determine whether or not you have a case. 

FDA Probes Contaminated Farm as Source of Deadly Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak

As we enter the new year, people are full of resolutions, the most common of which is to eat healthier.  It appears the federal government has a similar resolution because they have taken multiple steps in the first month of the new year to address food safety concerns aimed at cleaning up facilities which had food contamination.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have jointly investigated one farm linked to the production of tainted cantaloupe.  The farm at the heart of the investigation was linked to the dissemination of cantaloupe that was infected with salmonella.  A resulting outbreak affected 261 people in 24 states, killing 3 people in the state of Kentucky.

The FDA Presses Contaminated Farm for Corrective Action to Prevent Consumer Injury

Following this outbreak of consumer injury, the FDA has become concerned that it has not received information regarding how the farm plans to take corrective actions.  How will the farm prevent further food contamination which may lead to consumer injury? Prior to the holidays, the FDA sent the farm a stern letter in which it sought demonstrations of corrective action to prevent further consumer injury due to food contamination.

The FDA believes that based upon soil samples, food contact surfaces, and other samples taken around the farm, there is a "widespread Salmonella contamination" on the farm. Their testing concluded multiple potential sources of contamination including:

• organic material in the conveyor belt that could encourage bacteria growth
• infected food preparation surfaces
• mud, trash, and dirt beneath the conveyor belt and rinsing areas which contained algae 
• bird feces in the roof rafters above the processing equipment, suggesting this feces had dropped onto the food itself 
• contaminated water containing E-coli and C-coli
• potentially unclean carpeted surfaces in the packing area which could harbor bacteria

If You Have Been Injured by Contaminated Food

If you have been injured by contaminated food, you could be at serious risk of lasting injuries, including death.  Depending upon the contamination, you could experience symptoms as mild as nausea to extreme conditions that could kill you.  You should seek immediate medical attention if you have suffered an injury due to a food contamination.  You should also seek the help of a skilled personal injury attorney to determine whether or not you may be entitled to compensation for these injuries.