The CDC reports: Shigellosis is a nationally notifiable diarrheal illness caused by gram-negative bacteria. Shigella infection is spread through fecal-oral transmission and sexual contact. Although most infections are self-limited, antibiotics are indicated for severe illness or to reduce transmission in settings with high risk for spread. Since 2015, a growing proportion of cases has been caused by […]
Olivia worked on her Science Project yesterday. No, it was not a food project, it is a representation of a plant cell and a few of the key parts. Chloroplasts (green stringy thing) are found in plant cells. They capture energy from the sunlight and use it to produce food for the cell (photosynthesis). Mitochondria […]
David Barboza of the New York Times wrote in "China Cracks Down on Food Safety Violators" that “Beijing has been moving aggressively in recent months to complete a six-month long campaign to root out fake and substandard food, drugs, toys and other consumer goods….” He also noted that last year, Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head […]
Reuters reported "Senators ask Bush for greater food safety funding." The “U.S. senators sent President George W. Bush a letter on Thursday demanding greater funding for food safety after dangerous spinach, beef and other food tarnished consumers’ confidence in the U.S. food supply.” Of course, there was not a mention of the 76,000,000 American’s […]
To date, we have filed six lawsuits against ConAgra stemming from this Salmonella outbreak. We presently represent nearly two dozen people throughout the United States. Today we are in the ConAgra Pot Pie Manufacturing Facility in Marshall, Missouri inspecting the plant. As my readers might recall, the CDC has published its preliminary findings on the […]
Andrew Martin, well known as the “E. coli guy” in the NYT’s Newsroom, has been spending a bit too much time in slaughterhouses and talking to at least one trial lawyer. One will make you a vegetarian, the other, well, might make you a Republican. Mr. Martin’s story – “Meat Processors Look for Ways to […]
So let’s review: So far this year, in some 20 recalls, ground beef companies have recalled more than 30 million pounds of E. coli O157:H7-contaminated meat. Hundreds have been sickened, including dozens of children who have undergone kidney dialysis as a result. This compares with just eight recalls and a total of 156,235 pounds in […]
A few weeks ago I continued my posts on the question of the “Uptick” in E. coli O157:H7 cases by asking this question: Is this an explanation? What is the change? I understand that perhaps with the increase in the price of oil there has been an increase in ethanol production and waste products – […]
Not too long ago, I wondered if the beef industry had actually wised up, and was about to put me out of the business of representing the people they make sick. After a decade of nearly continuous outbreaks of deadly E. coli O157:H7, from Jack in the Box to ConAgra, the beef industry seemed to […]
I checked, I paid my dues to the ABA – American Blawg Association, but I did not make it into the ABA top 100 Blawgs – thats legal speak for Blogs. I’m bummed, and I know my 32,437 readers from November are too. No worries, I just need to work a bit harder.
Knox Times-Tribune staff writer Heather Cole wrote, “the death of a Knox County woman is under investigation and E. coli O157:H7 bacteria is believed to be the source of her illness. Vickie Shelton, 47, died Monday afternoon at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington after being admitted.” She also wrote “officials at the U.S. Department of […]
According to press reports, an FDA requested panel says food safety in particular is in crisis. (Full Report) Questions about the FDA’s effectiveness have been underscored by alarming headlines in recent years — including E. coli in spinach, deadly chemicals in pet foods, toxic toothpaste and the heart-damaging side effects of drugs. The report says […]
I will be one of several dozen speakers at the following conference: Advanced Strategies for Managing and Defending Food Contamination Claims Thursday, February 28, 2008 to Friday, February 29, 2008 Millennium Resort, Scottsdale McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ, United States Overview 2007 was the year of the recall, with E. coli contamination increasing sharply in 2007 […]
John Green of The Hutchinson News in Sterling Kansas wrote "5-year-old who had E. coli goes home" about the homecoming of Aubrey Anderson after a long battle with E. coli O157:H7 and HUS. To date the family has not learned how Aubrey contracted the sometimes fatal infection. “It will be weeks, and perhaps months, before […]
Standing in the New Orleans Airport yesterday afternoon, I had a nice chat with Mark Morey of the Yakima Herald about the status of the ConAgra Salmonella Peanut Butter litigation (CDC confirms 714 Illnesses) as well as the filing of yet another suit against ConAgra for manufacturing Salmonella Pot Pies (CDC confirms 272 Illnesses – […]
Well, I can’t say we made much progress with ConAgra in trying to find a path towards resolving customer illnesses from ingesting Salmonella-tainted Peanut Butter. What both sides are still trying to figure out is less what the value of a Salmonella cases is (just ask me, after settling over 2,500 in the last few […]