Robert E. Cartwright Personal Injury Law Blog on Lawyers.com

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has
issued a public health alert due to an alarming increase in reports of
Salmonella Heidelberg found in ground turkey. The source has been traced to
ground turkey produced by Cargill, who has now issued a recall for nearly 36
million pounds of the ground meats. The outbreak has resulted in the
hospitalization of more than 75 people in 26 states, and resulted in the death
of one man in California. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
in conjunction with the state health departments in those 26 states, have been
working to track down the source of the contamination since the first reports
of the outbreak arose in February of this year.

It is critical that anyone cooking ground poultry products
that the meat be cooked to at least 165 degrees to kill the bacteria. Salmonella
Heidelberg is known to be resistant to many types of antibiotics, which makes
this advice especially important to follow, as data shows 20-15% of ground
turkey is usually contaminated with this bacteria. Salmonella Heidelberg can
cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and people with weaker immune
systems such as the elderly and children are affected more seriously than
otherwise healthy adults.

It is also important to note that outbreaks of food-borne
illnesses have been on the rise in recent years. In the period from 1993 to
1995, ground beef accounted for 7.5% of all cases of food-borne illnesses
(FBI). Ground chicken accounted for
44.6% of such cases, and ground turkey for 44.9% of the cases. (Remember –
this is the total of three years, so the number appears large.)  But by 2007, the number of cases of
salmonellosis was hospitalizing 15,000 people per year, and was killing more
than 400 (464 in 2007). This despite newer laws aimed at meat product producers
designed to increase inspections and fines.

You have a right to not
expect the food you purchase and consume to cause you to fall ill, or worse, to
result in your death. Food producers have apparently not gotten the message.
Cargill (and its own subsidiaries) alone accounted for most of the prepared
meat product contamination cases over the past five years in the U.S. How can
anyone believe the food they purchase is safe, in the face of such repeated
outbreaks?

If you become ill and suspect a food-borne illness, insist
on having all the relevant tests, and demand the testing facility retain any
samples tested. And, if you suspect you were exposed from food bought at
market, or from restaurant food, it is a good idea to have all family members
who may have consumed the suspect food tested the same way. The Cartwright Law
Firm has successfully litigated dozens of food-borne illness cases, and is
ready to aggressively represent you and your family should you be yet another
unfortunate victim of such corporate indifference. Call us today to discuss
your case. And be sure to thoroughly cook any ground meat products properly, in
order to keep yourself and your family safe.

We focus our practice on protecting the legal rights of
individuals who have suffered a food-borne illness.  Contact The
Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. via email or call us today at 888-351-8460 or 415-433-0444
for a free consultation. We can help.

The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc.

222 Front Street, 5th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 433-0444