Illinois Salad Producer Has Third Food Poisoning Incident in Last Three Years

 Posted on July 31, 2020 in Food Poisoning

The number of people who have been affected by the cyclospora salad outbreak has increased since we last reported it in June. As of July 24, 641 people in 11 states are confirmed to have contracted cyclospora, as well as more than 100 other people in Canada. Illinois has been the state with the most people infected, with 241 reported cases. Dozens of people have been hospitalized but no one has died. The cyclospora outbreak was linked to garden salads produced by Fresh Express in its Streamwood, Illinois, facility. Fresh Express has recalled the packaged salads, which were sold under various names at Jewel-Osco, ALDI, Walmart, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, and ShopRite. The fact that this is the third food poisoning outbreak in three years connected to Fresh Express and its Streamwood facility gives an additional reason for concern.

2018 Cyclospora Outbreak

From May to July in 2018, 511 people from 15 states, including Illinois, contracted cyclospora after eating salads sold at McDonald’s restaurants in the Midwest. Fresh Express was the supplier for McDonald’s salads at the time, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that a package of romaine lettuce and carrots from the Streamwood facility had tested positive for cyclospora. McDonald’s stopped selling salads that it purchased from Fresh Express and switched to a different supplier.

2019 E. Coli Outbreak

In November 2019, 10 people from five states, including one from Illinois, contracted a strain of E. coli that the FDA believed originated from Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kits. The strain of E. coli was different from the strain in a concurrent incident involving contaminated romaine lettuce grown in California. The FDA was unable to determine which ingredient in the salad kit was contaminated and announced that the outbreak was over on Jan. 15.

Contact an Illinois Food Poisoning Attorney

Unfortunately, many food producers and servers are repeat offenders when it comes to negligence that causes food poisoning incidents. If you have become ill because of food poisoning caused by another party, you are entitled to compensation for your medical expenses and pain and suffering. An Illinois food poisoning lawyer at Newland & Newland, LLP, can help you receive the amount of compensation that you deserve for your illness. Schedule a consultation by calling 312-981-0409.

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/2020/

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o157h7-12-19/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/2018/b-071318/index.html