Posted on April 20, 2018 in Salmonella

Due to salmonella outbreak, more than 206 million eggs were recalled by their producer, Rose Acre Farm. Salmonella, a type of food poisoning, can be quite dangerous for victims, especially the elderly, young children, and individuals with compromised immune systems. In rare cases, it can be deadly.

If you have eggs that were recalled in your home, get rid of them or return them to the store where your purchased them to have your money refunded. Under no circumstances should you eat them or serve them to another person or an animal. To see if the eggs in your refrigerator were recalled, check their package to see their plant number and Julian date range. The plant number on the recalled eggs is P-1065 and the date range is 011 through 102. If you or your child became ill after consuming eggs from this batch, you could be entitled to monetary compensation for your damages.

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 Posted on April 15, 2018 in E. Coli

A recent E.Coli outbreak that caused 17 illnesses in seven states likely got its start at Panera Bread locations in New Jersey, according to state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of early April 2018, there were eight reported cases of E.Coli poisoning connected with Panera Bread locations in central New Jersey. Additional cases linked to this outbreak were reported in Ohio, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Missouri.

In total, the 17 reported illnesses resulted in six hospitalizations. The victims are primarily female and between the ages of 12 and 84. The illnesses reported so far occurred in March 2018. Like many other types of food poisoning, E.Coli is typically not harmful to adults with healthy immune systems, but can cause victims to suffer unpleasant symptoms.

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 Posted on March 31, 2018 in Food borne illness

Spring is here, and for many people in Illinois and across the United States, that means it is time to venture outdoors again after a long winter in hibernation. As flowers bloom and trees regrow their leaves, enjoying a picnic in a park can be a relaxing way to welcome warm spring weather.

Your picnic will not be much fun if you or somebody else who attended falls ill with food poisoning in the days that follow. As the picnic planner, you can take steps to protect yourself and your guests from becoming ill after eating from your picnic basket. The following tips will help you keep food out of the danger zone and prevent cross-contamination.

Keep Everything Separated

Every dish should be kept in a separate container. This will prevent cross-contamination, the transfer of harmful bacteria from one food item to another.

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 Posted on March 31, 2018 in Food Poisoning

In March 2018, PDX Aromatics recalled many of its kratom products amid concerns that the products could be contaminated with Salmonella. These products include white vein powder products, capsule products, and red vein powder products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a comprehensive list of all the products recalled and their lot numbers to its website.

Food poisoning does not always come from food. In this case, consumers of an alternative medicine product faced a risk of contracting Salmonella poisoning. It is an herbal drug taken from Mitragyna speciosa, a species of evergreen tree in the coffee family. Kratom is usually sold and consumed in its powder form, which can be swallowed in capsules or made into a paste to be taken with water.

What Does Kratom do?

Although kratom has been used in Southeast Asia for centuries, many Americans are unaware of its use or benefits. Kratom is a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses. It can be used as a painkiller and an aid in recovery from opioid recovery. It can also put the user into a dreamlike or euphoric state. Although kratom is legal to purchase and consume in the United States, it is banned in many other countries, such as Thailand and Australia.

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 Posted on March 11, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) filed in early March 2018, 170 people became ill after consuming chicken salad that was contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium. Of these victims, 62 were hospitalized for their symptoms.

The food poisoning cases related to this outbreak occurred in seven states - Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, and South Dakota. The outbreak was linked to chicken salad produced by Triple T Specialty Meats, which was sold in Fareway supermarkets. Of the people who became ill, 66% were female. Victims ranged in age from 7 to 89 years old with a median age of 59. No deaths were reported in conjunction to this outbreak.

Product Recalled Amid Safety Concerns

The chicken salad linked to the illnesses was produced between January 2, 2018 and February 7, 2018. After reports of illnesses were linked to the product, Triple T Specialty Meats voluntarily recalled all remaining packages of the chicken salad from store shelves.

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 Posted on March 03, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

Reports of vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea from individuals who attended a February 2018 fundraising event for the conservation group We Are Outdoors in Ohio have local health officials concerned that there could be a food poisoning outbreak in the area. 24 people who were at the event reported symptoms that could mean a few different types of food poisoning, such as norovirus, Salmonella, E.Coli, or Clostridium perfringens. Local health officials cannot determine a specific bacterial or viral cause of the attendees' symptoms just yet, but are currently investigating the situation.

Few Details for the Outbreak Yet

Health department officials reported that they do not know much about the outbreak yet, other than that 24 people who were at the event reported feeling ill afterward. Their illnesses could have been caused by one or more of the following:

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 Posted on February 25, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

When a pet suffers from food poisoning, every member of the household is at risk of becoming ill. Recently, four pet food brands issued recalls of their products after reports linked them to a Salmonella outbreak. Six pets died or became ill after consuming the pet food products. Two children also became ill, though it is not currently known if this was because the children consumed the pet food or if they became ill from being exposed to the pathogens in the food.

Although a pet owner cannot file a personal injury claim on behalf of his or her pet, the owner can file a claim for personal property damage to cover the animal's veterinary bills if the pet becomes ill due to a pet food seller or producer's negligence. When a human becomes ill after harmful bacteria enters the home through pet food, he or she may recover compensation for damages through a food poisoning claim.

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 Posted on February 08, 2018 in Food poisoning attorney

It might soon be possible for individuals who become ill to identify whether their symptoms were caused by food poisoning with a simple smartphone accessory. Food scientists at UMass Amherst have developed a way to examine samples of potentially contaminated food with a smartphone app that uses a $30 microscope attachment.

Using a Microscope Attachment to Test Samples for Harmful Bacteria

The attachment uses a chemical-coated chip that binds to the harmful bacteria present in water samples collected after rinsing food believed to be contaminated. Bacteria travels from the food to the water via molecules, then becomes stuck to the chemical chip, where it can be examined with the microscope. The smartphone's screen shows the microscope's display.

Making Testing Accessible can Help to Prevent Food Poisoning

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 Posted on January 31, 2018 in Food borne illness

In a recent blog post, we talked about the recent multi-state Salmonella outbreak that was linked to raw bean sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Currently, the outbreak is being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

When a food poisoning outbreak is linked to a specific food retailer or distributor, the responsible party may be required to take certain steps, such as recalling the contaminated product, to protect consumers from further illness. In other cases, the responsible party voluntarily makes changes and takes precautions to eliminate the chance of further illnesses occurring because of their product. A recent example of a retailer taking steps to protect its consumers is Chipotle's publicized changes to their food handling measures after it was linked to an E.Coli outbreak.

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 Posted on January 25, 2018 in Food Poisoning

An outbreak of Salmonella that caused eight people to become ill was recently linked to raw bean sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. As a precautionary measure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that consumers avoid eating raw sprouts from Jimmy John's restaurants until the cause of the outbreak has been identified and the sprouts are certified to be safe for human consumption again.

Currently, the CDC is working with state agencies in Illinois and Wisconsin to determine the cause of the outbreak. It is possible to trace a food poisoning outbreak to its source, but this can take time and requires cooperation from multiple parties, including the restaurant or retailer that sold the contaminated food, local health departments, and the infected patients themselves.

The CDC's Recommendations for Avoiding Illness

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