August 2004

‘Sell By’ Date No Assurance That Recall Won’t Take Place is the headline of an ABC News article today.
Don’t assume the hamburger or hot dog you’re eating this Labor Day weekend is free and clear of the possibility of a health-related recall.
Federal meat recalls are not always instantaneous and sometimes can occur weeks or months after meat hits the grill.
That’s because although inspectors are required in production plants, bacteria are often invisible and not all meat is scientifically tested for contamination.
From the article:

“We don’t have the resources to test every single batch of meat that is produced in the United States,” says Elijah Walker, associate deputy administrator for the Office of Public Health And Science, which falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Pathogens Discovered Months Later
As a result, unidentified tainted meat sometimes goes to market, only to be discovered and recalled weeks or months afterwards, a database on the FSIS Web site shows.Continue Reading No Expiration on Recall Risk

One Case Shows Why it Can Take Weeks
Meat can be recalled days, even weeks, after it has appeared on store shelves — and well past the expiration date. Here, from data provided by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, is an account of one meat recall case this year:
April 5: Michigan state Department

Marler Clark filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Sloan Ross, a 19-year-old Lakewood, Colorado resident who became ill with E. coli infection after eating an E. coli-contaminated tri-tip steak at the Applebee’s restaurant located at 10625 West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood. The lawsuit, which was filed in Jefferson county District Court, names Applebee’s International as defendant. Judith Tartaglia, a respected Denver attorney, is serving as co-counsel with Marler Clark.
Mr. Ross ate at Applebee’s on July 18, and began to experience symptoms of E. coli infection, which included abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea, on July 21. Mr. Ross’s mother transported him to the Emergency Room at Exempla Lutheran Hospital on July 25, where he was given IV fluids for dehydration, and submitted a stool sample that later tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.
“We filed this lawsuit against Applebee’s because the restaurant had a legal duty to serve food that was wholesome, unadulterated, and properly cooked,” said William Marler, managing partner of Marler Clark and attorney for Mr. Ross. “A steak contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a deadly pathogen, certainly does not fit the description of being unadulterated.”Continue Reading E. coli lawsuit filed against Applebee’s

Leisa Zigman, Investigative Reporter for KSDK, did a story on pre-washed salad:
For busy, health conscious people, pre-washed and bagged salads are a huge time saver. Just open and eat. But did you ever wonder how well it’s washed? Investigative Reporter Leisa Zigman did, so she had the salad tested.
Busy mom Susan Stern uses the bagged lettuce about once a week, “It’s all about saving time. It’s already chopped, already prepared. I don’t have to clean it. I don’t have to do anything but open the bag.”
Two weeks ago, we randomly bought three bags from three different stores. The bags were Fresh Express European Mix, Fresh Express Spinach, and Earthbound Farm Organic.
The Fresh Express said “thoroughly washed.” Earthbound Farm Organic salad claimed it was triple washed.
Scientists at Microbe Innotech in Bridgeton analyzed the samples. Lab Manager Andrew Johnson found the organic mix had 21,300,000 bacteria colonies inside the entire bag. He found more than 3,000 colonies were coliform bacteria or e-coli like.Continue Reading Pre-Washed Salad

The Business Journal reports that Illinois meat processor Quantum Foods is voluntarily recalling 406,000 pounds of frozen beef products, including some packaged for use by Applebee’s International Inc. restaurants, after tests revealed the products may be tainted by E. coli bacteria.
Frank Ybarra, spokesman for the Overland park-based restaurant chain (Nasdaq: APPB), said the company’s

The Journal News reported today that Marler Clark filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parents of a Bergen County, N.J., boy who got sick from a strain of bacteria identical to the one that nearly killed a Rockland girl two years ago. The lawsuit was filed against BJ’s Wholesale Club, which store sold tainted

It’s the ultimate heartbreak for a South Dakota couple.
Their daughter has died after contracting E.coli.
One week ago little Adorah Montgomery started showing symptoms of E.coli. and early Thursday morning, she passed away.
Her dad, Alex Montgomery told KSFY, “She was a beautiful, beautiful, little girl. ”
Last week, the toddler started showing symptoms of E. coli poisoning. Her older brother was also ill. Two year old Reagan had diarrhea and flu-like symptoms, but soon recovered. His little sister didn’t fare as well.Continue Reading The Loss of A Child

The Associated Press reported yesterday that a 15-month-old baby who contracted a severe type of E. coli bacteria died early Thursday morning. Adorah Montgomery got sick last week and was hospitalized on Friday, according to her parents, Alex and Karyn Montgomery of Canistota. Her brother Reagan, 3, also became ill but recovered.
The family doesn’t

Sue Young Wilson, a journalist who writes frequently on health and science topics for such outlets as the New York Times, WNET, and UNICEF, put together the following article on foodborne illness:
Reports of a potentially dangerous E. coli infection among children in a Bronx day care center, coupled with two Yankees players benched by parasitic infestations, seems to have turned the summer into an unplanned Food Borne Illness Awareness Month.
According to estimates by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 76 million Americans get sick each year from food–borne illnesses, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die.
E Coli
The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced in the beginning of July that it is investigating a recent outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 infection in children who attended the “For Kids Only” day care center in the Bronx. After three children who spent time in the same first-floor room of the center came down with confirmed cases of E. coli 0157:H7, health inspectors visited the site. They are also investigating suspected cases among 18 other children who attended “For Kids Only.”
The day care center voluntarily closed during the investigation and has cooperated with the health department. An article in the New York Post reported that For Kids Only passed annual health inspections in March 2004 and April 2003, and quoted parents who praised the center for cleanliness and health consciousness. Toddlers in day care centers, however, are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 and other foodborne pathogens, because they eat the same meals, crowd together, often fail to wash hands after use of the toilet, and frequently wear diapers, which can lead to spread of the bacteria if caretakers fail even occasionally to handle them using precise sanitary procedures.
The health department is also investigating one confirmed case of E. coli 0157:H7 in a local child who does not attend the day care center. All children associated with the outbreak live in the Bronx and range in age from seven months to just over three years.
According to city Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, all of the affected children “are doing well at this point.” As E. coli 0157:H7 outbreaks go, then, this one was relatively benign. The pathogen can cause much more serious health consequences, especially among young children and the elderly. According to the CDC, in three to five percent of cases, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can occur several weeks after the initial symptoms (which are themselves debilitating — severe, bloody diarrhea and painful stomach cramps.) HUS is the most common cause of acute kidney failure in children.
In 1999, there were 18 cases of E. coli 0157:H7 reported among New York City residents. In 2002, only 2 cases — both in a private home — were reported, according to the CDC, which collects statistics on foodborne disease outbreaks from state, local and territorial health departments each year.Continue Reading Food Borne Illnesses

The Olympian reported today that the health of an Olympia toddler who was hospitalized with E. coli is improving.
Samantha Hatcher, 2, was in satisfactory condition Monday at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Hatcher was admitted to the hospital after she began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea. She also was having