Since it seems that the House and Senate still cannot seem to get a Food Safety Bill across the finish line, we thought we would keep encouraging companies not to poison their customers in a slightly more direct way.

On or about October 14, 2010, 14-year-old MK and her mother Lois Kirby shopped at the Costco warehouse store located at 8686 Park Meadows Center, Lone Tree, Colorado. MK ate a sample of Bravo Farms’ gouda cheese that was contaminated by E. coli O157:H7. Within a few days, MK began to feel ill and quickly developed gastrointestinal symptoms including severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea. On or about October 19, 2010, Lois and Glyn Kirby had to rush MK to a local urgent care clinic. Diagnostic tests, at that point, did not reveal that MK had been infected by E. coli O157:H7. Her parents rushed her to Phoenix Children’s Hospital the next morning. At the hospital, MK continued to suffer from severe symptoms, and required intravenous fluids for rehydration, as well as narcotic pain medication. After hours spent in the emergency department, the physicians treating MK acknowledged that they could do little more than keep MK hydrated. MK continued to suffer symptoms of her E. coli O157:H7 infection, and required additional care by her regular pediatrician. MK continues to recover from her illness.