Michigan E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Bagged Lettuce, Again; ...

Tag : lettuce

SEATTLE (Business Wire) -- "E. coli O157:H7 outbreaksassociated with lettuce or spinach, specifically the"pre-washed" and "ready-to-eat" varieties soldunder various brand and trade names, are by no means a newphenomenon," according to food-safety attorney, William D.Marler, of Marler Clark. By way of illustration:
-- in October 2003, thirteen residents of a California retirementhome were sickened, and two people died, after eating E.coli-contaminated, pre-washed spinach;
-- in September 2003, nearly forty patrons of a Californiarestaurant chain fell ill after eating salads prepared with bagged,pre-washed lettuce; and
-- in July 2002, over fifty young women fell ill with E. coliO157:H7 at a dance camp after eating "pre-washed"lettuce, leaving several hospitalized and one with life-long kidneydamage.
And this is just a small sampling of the twenty or more E. coliO157:H7 outbreaks since 1995 in which spinach or lettuce was thesource.
Several more outbreaks linked to contaminated leafy-produce,including most recently the September 2005 Dole packaged lettuceoutbreak, are identified in the chart below, which is based oninformation gathered by the Center for Science in the PublicInterest:(1)
The most recent major E. coli outbreak ties to leafy greens was theDole Spinach outbreak of 2006. This included 205 illnesses due toE. coli O157:H7 reported the CDC. This number included 31 cases ofHUS, 102 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths. The FDA maintained itsconclusion that all the implicated spinach was traced back toSalinas Valley in California.
"We never seem to learn," said Mr. Marler. In November2005, the FDA elucidated its past efforts and present concerns inits "Letter to California Firms that Grow, Pack, Process, orShip Fresh and Fresh-Cut Lettuce." The letter begins:
"This letter is intended to make you aware of the Food andDrug Administration's (FDA's) serious concern with the continuingoutbreaks of food borne illness associated with the consumption offresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens."
The FDA efforts to lead the lettuce industry to safer practiceswere nothing new. In 1998, the FDA issued guidance to the industryentitled "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards forFruits and Vegetables." The guide is specifically designed toassist growers and packers in the implementation of safermanufacturing practices. On February 5, 2004, the FDA issued aletter to the lettuce and tomato industries to "make themaware of (FDA's) concerns regarding continuing outbreaks associatedwith these two commodities and to encourage the industries toreview their practices."
BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has extensive experience representingvictims of E. coli bacterial infections. The firm has representedover 1,000 E. coli victims since 1993, when William Marlerrepresented HUS survivor Brianne Kiner in her $15.6 million E. colisettlement with Jack in the Box. Since that time, Marler Clark hasrepresented victims of E. coli outbreaks traced to ConAgra, AFG,Cub Foods, Supervalu, Carneco, Excel, Topps, Stop & Shop andother ground beef suppliers.
(1) The CSPI Outbreak database can be found here:http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/outbreak_report.html.
Marler Clark
William D. Marler, 1-206-794-5043
bmarler@marlerclark.com
© Business Wire