Canada has been hit by a number of romaine lettuce recalls. We set out to the U.S., where the majority of our leafy greens come from, to dig up why E. coli outbreaks continue to plague our food supply. We meet one B.C. family whose lives have been forever changed by a contaminated salad.
Legal Cases
Why it is a bad idea to Poison your customers – two more reasons
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
Pre-COVID, I spent at least 5-6 days of any month somewhere in the world preaching the gospel of “why it is a bad idea to Poison your customer.” There are the business reasons – you will likely see a downturn in sales of your leafy green, and I will sue you for millions of dollars…
Listeria in El Albuelito brand queso fresco cheese likely source of Listeria Outbreak
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
On February 16, 2021, Connecticut official found Listeria in samples of El Albuelito brand queso fresco cheese collected from a store where a sick person bought Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses. Investigators are working to confirm if the Listeria bacteria found in this queso fresco is the same bacteria making people sick in this outbreak.…
FDA, CDC and Canadian food safety and public health authorities called out by Thomson International – A Salmonella Outbreak linked to Thomson Onions did not happen
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
Here is Thomson International’s and their financial backers position on a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened thousands in the United States and Canada:
The FDA took over 2000 swabs of Thomson’s onions, fields and facilities and were unable to locate any trace of Salmonella Newport. In fact, the FDA has since cleared Thomson International and…
Owner of Connecticut Meat Supplier Who Fabricated E. coli Test Results is Sentenced
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MEMET BEQIRI, also known as Matt Beqiri, 33, of Tolland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to two years of probation for fabricating E. coli test results at his meat processing business. Judge Thompson also ordered…
2 sick in New York, 7 sick in Massachusetts and 1 dead in Florida from Listeria tainted Deli Meat
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
Late Friday, the CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) reported that they are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.
As of October 22, 2020, a total of 10 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have…
Update: End of Fresh Express Salad Cyclospora Outbreak
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in 14 states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigated a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections.
As of September 23, 2020, a total of 701 people with laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora infections associated with this outbreak were reported from 14 states: GA, IL, IA, KS, MA, MI, MN, MO,
…
The Latest on the Thomson Onions Salmonella Outbreak
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence showed that red onions from Thomson International Inc. were the likely source of this outbreak. Other onion types (such as white, yellow, or sweet yellow) were also likely to be contaminated because the onions were grown and harvested together.
In Canada there were 515 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness
…
The Latest on Wawona Packing Co. and Prima Wawona Peaches Salmonella Outbreak
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
A total of 101 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis were reported from 17 states.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 29, 2020, to August 27, 2020. Ill people ranged in age from 1 to 92 years, with a median age of 43. Sixty-four percent of ill people were female.
…
Hey, Food CEO’s be forewarned – Do not mess with the FDA and DOJ
By Bill Marler on
Posted in Legal Cases
Former Blue Bell Creameries President Charged In Connection With 2015 Ice Cream Listeria Contamination
A Texas grand jury charged the former president of ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries L.P. with wire fraud and conspiracy in connection with an alleged scheme to cover up the company’s sales of Listeria-tainted ice cream in 2015, the…
