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Recent Updates
July 23, 2008
Salmonella Food Poisoning Exposes FDA's Weak Record
July 22, 2008
Doctor Arrested for Los Angeles Sexual Assault
July 21, 2008
Nine Injured in Sonoma County Bus Accident
July 18, 2008
Home Care Elder Abuse Cases on the Rise
July 17, 2008
Los Angeles Comedian Arrested for Murrieta Sexual Battery
July 16, 2008
8 Dead as Vehicles Plunge into Canal After Central Valley Car Accident
July 15, 2008
Man Accused in Fatal Fresno Multi-Car Accident Surrenders
July 14, 2008
Anaheim Doctor Convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor
July 11, 2008
Report Says Power Lines to Blame for San Diego Fire
July 10, 2008
Boat Operator to Face DUI Charges in Manteca, California Boating Accident
Food Poisoning
Salmonella Food Poisoning Exposes FDA's Weak Record
July 23, 2008
The confusion started on Monday when the FDA posted an advisory on its website advising grocery stores not to stock jalapeno peppers that were distributed by a distributor in Texas. Several grocery stores that did not purchase their jalapeno peppers from that particular distributor rightly chose not to have these products pulled from their shelves. However, the very next day the advisory was altered to say that all raw jalapeno peppers and serrano peppers, including products like salsa that contain these ingredients, were to be taken off shelves. That was 24 hours of misinformation when grocery stores continued to leave possibly tainted jalapeno peppers on the shelves, and customers continued to purchase them. The dangerous food confusion has been sorted out for now, and most of the top grocery stores had removed the offending peppers from their shelves by Tuesday.
However, the slowness in getting the right safety advisory out has sparked off yet another debate over the FDA’s powerlessness in enforcing recalls of tainted products, and its inability to form a cohesive and fast alert system. The FDA lacks the mandatory recall authority that would allow issuing recalls for tainted products. It can merely issue advisories, but its up to retailers to act on these. It is clear that this is a dangerous pattern of trends in the way that food safety systems in this country are being run, and at the rate that tainted food scandals are erupting, it’s time we took food safety with the seriousness it deserves.
The most recent salmonella food poisoning outbreak involved the rare Salmonella Saintpaul strain that kicked off in April this year. Since then, it has killed two people and sent thousands to the hospital sick with diarrhea and severe vomiting. Food safety regulators have struggled to find the source of the salmonella. In the beginning, tomatoes were the prime suspects, and as we had reported a while back, tomatoes by the hundreds of thousands had been yanked off produce store shelves. Since then, tomato hysteria has died down, and tomatoes are back to being staple produce again. The regulators have since then scrambled to find the original source of the strain, and have had little luck.
Even now, the connection between the food poisoning and the jalapeno peppers remains unconfirmed. The distribution plant in Texas that buys the peppers from Mexico and distributes them in Texas and Georgia is having its affairs investigated.
While the FDA regulations look for microscopic salmonella in a haystack of peppers, critics have been quick to point out that this slowness in responding to and tackling food emergencies is a potential disaster waiting to happen that will cost more lives in the years ahead. Unless measures are adopted now to give the FDA some better tools to track the food chain as it travels from the farm to our plates, as well as issue mandatory recalls, we can expect to have more such dangerous food episodes in the future.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of food poisoning. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
FDA Grapples to Find Tainted Tomato Source in Food Poisoning
June 20, 2008
If you needed more proof that the country's premier food safety agency is on the verge of collapse, you only need to look at the pandemonium that's been created by the salmonella food poisoning outbreak across a number of states, which has been linked to tomato consumption. What started as salmonella poisoning that quickly spread across nine states, has now snowballed into a nationwide disaster, with at least 228 people in 23 states infected with a rare form of salmonella.
Now, the FDA has even more reassuring news for us - they will most likely never be able to trace the source of contamination because they simply don't know where the tainted tomatoes came from. Expecting the FDA to pinpoint the exact farm from where the tomatoes were sourced would be a trifle optimistic - the agency isn't even aware of which state or country it came from. For now, the investigations are focusing on Florida and Mexico.
The salmonella outbreak, the thirteenth linked to tomatoes since 1990 - has spurred agency critics to point out fatal flaws in the FDA. The third salmonella food poisoning outbreak this year alone, the epidemic has raised deep concerns about the FDA's ability to provide food safety in this country. Reeling from a funds crunch and staff shortages, the FDA has been found slipping on more than one occasion, and the results have not been pretty. As we write this, the food poisoning outbreak is spreading, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention characterizing it as an "ongoing" outbreak.
Lawmakers have been quick to point out the increasing sluggishness of the FDA in inspecting foods items, and preventing food poisoning outbreaks of this kind. At the Consumers Union, the opinion is that the FDA has been allowed to chug along with no steam to make any of the severely needed changes in its workings. Food inspections are conducted rarely, and it's normal to have inspections of foreign food produce facilities only once in every 5 years.
The FDA for its part says that it gets the short end of the stick when it comes to funds. The Department of Agriculture, which gets the bulk of food safety funding, only inspects about 20 percent of the food supply, while the FDA, with its limited funds, is left to inspect the remaining 80 percent.
While these two agencies bicker about funds, people are lying sick in hospitals, and the country loses money in man hours lost. Our food safety record is beginning to look more and more like a bad joke. It's a shameful day if our country's top food safety agencies are allowed to become so lax in their concern for the health of citizens.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of food poisoning. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Orange County Considering Rating System for Restaurants
February 28, 2008
If a new proposed food rating system for restaurants under review by the Orange County Board of Supervisors comes into effect, you might never again have to worry if the diner you're stepping into uses clean dishes or plates, or if the delicacies at the Chinese eatery down the road includes roaches as one of its ingredients. Knowledge could be as simple as A-B-C!
That's the current food rating system practiced in San Diego and Los Angeles. In Orange County, on the other hand, you have had to be satisfied with visiting the website of the Orange County Health Care Agency to learn of any reported violations in restaurants in the county. You wouldn't normally visit the website to check up on violations unless you actually fell ill from eating at the place which is a little too late in our opinion. Diners need to have a rating system in place that can allow them to make seriously informed choices about the eatery.
No one can argue with the benefits of such a system. Some restaurant owners predictably are not too pleased at the prospects of such punitive screening of restaurants. If the new rating system comes into place, the rating will have to be displayed outside and the prospect has some owners skittish. They say that rules like this will punish the restaurants for conditions that are outside their control. We don't understand the reason for all this hand wringing. If basic hygiene and cleanliness standards are maintained, there is nothing preventing a restaurant from getting a shiny A rating which will obviously be very assuring to any diner who enters the restaurant. The only restaurants that might suffer from the rating system are those who have made a habit of violations and who risk getting a C on the rating card.
In any case, what restaurant owners think shouldn't be paramount to what's good for the public. We have seen too many videos of "When Chefs Attack" to take that shiny cutlery and the crisp tablecloth very seriously. The only way to guarantee that your soup has no rodent droppings might be to check for the rating of the restaurant on the way in. Food poisoning is just one of the illnesses a person who eats tainted food can suffer from, and if a person has the choice to avoid an eatery that doesn't practice the very highest standards of hygiene, they deserve to lose business.
Cleaner restaurants can be nothing but good for public health, and even if there are a few hiccups in the beginning stages, the plan bodes well for the county. While you could eat at a restaurant with less than perfect hygiene standards and still not fall ill, the risk of illnesses outweigh any good luck that you might have.
One of the rights of the public in a democracy is the right to information. This rating system will give OC residents exactly that - the information about the conditions under which their meal was prepared.
If you have suffered food poisoning from an ill-maintained restaurant, you need the help of a qualified California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.
Wisconsin Company Recalls E. Coli Tainted Meat
January 15, 2008
A Minnesota-based meat products manufacturer has recalled 188,000 pounds of ground beef because of concerns that it may be contaminated with the deadly E. coli virus.
According to the US Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the meat, which was produced in October and November 2007, was shipped to several cities around the country. These products have not been distributed to retail establishments, but were distributed to restaurants and other food service institutions.
The ripples of the beef recall are being felt in California too. County officials in San Diego, California are trying to trace restaurants where these contaminated beef products might have been distributed. A 17-year-old girl reportedly fell sick after dining at one San Diego restaurant although she didn't require hospitalization. She is reportedly doing well now.
Meat contaminated with this particular deadly strain of E. Coli can cause bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps. It can also be fatal.
Although the products were not shipped to retail stores, consumers have been asked to take more care while preparing ground beef products. These precautions include cooking ground beef products like patties to an internal temperature of 167 degrees Fahrenheit. Food products should not be left lying around after being cooked, but should immediately be refrigerated within a couple of hours of cooking.
If you have been the victim of any type of dangerous food or E. Coli-laced product, you need the assistance of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.
San Antonio Recalls Lead-Tainted Mexican Candy
January 10, 2008
Mexico is quickly becoming to candy what China is to tainted toys. In recent months, California stores yanked hundreds of bars of tainted Mexican tamarind and fruit candy. Now comes news that another brand of candy has been recalled in San Antonio, Texas.
The candy manufactured in Mexico, and distributed by Villa-Mex Imports Inc., was found to contain high levels of lead after tests conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The candy, Miguelito Azucar Salada Enchilada Acidulada, it was found, had lead levels ranging from 0.161 to 0.291 parts per million. The US Food and Drug Administration holds anything above 0.1 parts per million as having the potential to cause risk to a person's health.
This isn't the first recall that Villa Mex has been involved with. Earlier the company recalled two other products for the presence of excessive levels of lead - a syrup called Barrilito and a reddish brown paste called Tarritos.
Lead when ingested by pregnant women and children has especially harmful effects. It has been traced to mental and learning deficiencies in children as well as miscarriages in pregnant women. Pregnant women who might have consumed the tainted candy are urged to visit their doctor immediately.
If you live in California and have been injured by unknowingly consuming any dangerous foods, you need to consult an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact The Reeves Law Group immediately for a free consultation.
More Recalls - This Time It's Frozen Pizzas
November 02, 2007
After the recall of Topps Meat Company's E. Coli contaminated hamburger patties, comes another line of popular food products being pulled off shelves. This time Totino's and Jeno's frozen pizzas have been identified as containing possible E. coli contamination. Close to 5 million frozen pizzas containing pepperoni toppings are included in the recall. The contamination came to light during investigations into 21 E. coli related illnesses across10 states. It was found that out of the 21, at least 9 persons reported consuming Totino's and Jeno's frozen pizzas just before they fell ill. These illnesses occurred between July 10 and October 20 and patients did not save the packages that contained the pizzas which is why General Mills, the company that owns the Totino's and Jeno's pizza brands, has no way of tracing the origins of the contaminated pepperoni. This is also the reason that the company cannot pinpoint the exact batches of frozen pizzas that may have been contaminated. The frozen pizzas were produced at General Mills' Wellston, Ohio plant, and were distributed throughout the country. The recall only includes frozen pizzas with pepperoni topping or pepperoni with combinations of other toppings. The company is still manufacturing frozen pizzas, only not with pepperoni toppings, a General Mills spokesman said. If you have suffered from any kind of food poisoning that may have resulted from consuming contaminated food products, remember to retain the tin or packaging of the product. This may be necessary to support your claim in court. For more information on how you can proceed with your case, fill out the form at the right to contact the California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group.
San Bernardino County Investigates E. Coli Infection
October 31, 2007
For a parent, there couldn't be many experiences more terrifying than watching your child fall suddenly and critically ill and not knowing what could be wrong. For San Bernardino resident Monique Bivins, that's exactly what happened when her one-and-a-half year-old son Ramon became violently ill on October 21st. When Monique rushed him to the emergency room at a San Bernardino hospital, he was suffering from incessant vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It took another hospital visit and a couple of days of investigation before Monique heard the two words guaranteed to strike terror in a parent's heart - E. coli infection. San Bernardino County officials are now investigating Ramon's day care center, KinderCare in Colton, Califorrnia. Representatives of the California Department of Social Services have confirmed that a complaint has been filed against KinderCare although they refused to identify the complainant. KinderCare meanwhile has rejected any suggestion that Ramon contracted the deadly infection when he was at their premises. They insist that Ramon was the only toddler in their charge who contracted the infection. Health officials however have told KinderCare to warn other parents to look out for the warning signs of an E. coli infection - fever, stomach aches and diarrhea. E. coli usually spreads through contaminated and improperly cooked meat, although vegetable too can provide a safe harbor for the virus. Over the summer, at least 40 people feel seriously ill after an outbreak of E. coli which was later traced to contaminated hamburger patties produced by the Topps Meat Company. If you or your loved ones have suffered from food poisoning due to the negligent safety and health practices of another, you might not be aware that you may have legal recourse to protect your rights. Call the California personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.
Investigations Reveal Company Ignored Crucial Health Safeguards
October 25, 2007
In the aftermath of the Topps Meat Factory beef recalls this year, the second largest such recall in history, health officials have been prompted to look more closely into what went wrong. As millions of Americans prepared to see summer through with family barbeques, Topps Meat Company, it is revealed, increased output of their frozen hamburger patties to meet increased demand from retail stores. This spike in production resulted in some serious lapses in health safety checks. Three batches of hamburger patties were discovered to be contaminated with e. coli bacteria with more than 40 people falling prey to the dreaded infection. While Topps itself is now out of business, the New York Times reports that federal health regulators now acknowledge therewere serious flaws in the system. This year alone there have been 16 meat recalls connected to e. coli contamination. In the Topps case, the company failed to mandate safety checks by suppliers and performed its own checks just 3 times a year. Additionally, Agriculture Department inspectors who were present at the inspections did not bother to cite the company. The Agriculture Department, fighting allegations that it was a mute spectator to blatant violations of health safety checks by the meat industry, has now directed its officials to conduct a nationwide survey to determine the measures that meat processing plants had in place for preventing e coli contamination of their products. Critics of the Department are unimpressed, saying its approach to problems was "haphazard, catch as catch can." E. Coli contamination of food products causes serious infection and illness, in some cases even leading to death. If you have suffered as a result of consuming a contaminated meat product, consult the experienced lawyers at The Reeves Law Group.
Botulism Poisoning Reaches California Shores
August 09, 2007
The botulin toxin, which is marketed by plastic surgeons by its more common name of Botox, can be the best friend of people looking to reduce the lines and wrinkles of aging. However, in an uncontrolled environment, the toxic bacteria can cause botulism, which can lead to muscular paralysis, respiratory failure, and even death.
Traces of botulin toxin were found in cans of chili sauce, hot dog sauce, and other canned food products manufactured by Castleberry's Food Products, which is owned by San Diego, California based Bumble Bee Seafoods. Four cases of suspected poisoning have previously been reported from all over the country, and on July 27th California health officials confirmed the fifth case occurred in San Diego. An unidentified 51-year-old resident was hospitalized for close to 10 days with symptoms of botulism before being discharged.
The threat of botulism is so severe that California health officials issued warnings urging citizens to safely dispose of all Castleberry's canned products that they have in their homes or in stores. With contaminated Castleberry's products dating as far back as a couple of years, millions of these deadly cans are believed to still be on supermarket store shelves and in household cupboards. While most food sellers have been responsive, health officials admit they are experiencing difficulties getting the message across to small town grocery shops and mom-and-pop stores.
The levels of contamination are reported to be so severe that unopened cans of Castleberry's products have started to bulge and literally burst at the seams with the gas produced by the botulin toxin. When the internal pressure becomes too great for a can of infected food, it can fracture and release the deadly bacteria into the air. The possibility of further spread of botulism through inhaling of these potent gases is further alarming health officials.
Castleberry's Food Products has now admitted that a malfunction in its sterilization equipment led to the botulin bacteria infected cans.
There is enough reason to worry that food safety procedures in this country are getting lax due to oversights by the FDA. July's Castleberry scare was not the first instance of food products being pulled off store shelves because a company did not responsibly ensure their products were suitable for consumption before they left the cannery.
The symptoms of botulism usually appear about a day after eating contaminated food, and include double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. If you believe you have been infected by botulin toxin, go to a hospital immediately. If caught early enough, doctors may be able to administer an antitoxin that can prevent the botulism from worsening.
If you feel you have been poisoned by unsafe products and want to seek legal action, be sure to save the can that the product came in and call the experienced personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group for advice on further course of action.
