Today, Dunkin Donuts announced that they would stop the sale of some of their hot chocolate products. The decision was made in light of the recent recall of products processed by Dunkin Donuts supplier, Plainview Milk Cooperative. The dairy products were recalled due to potential salmonella contamination. Plainview Milk assured Dunkin Donuts that Dunkin’s products were never contaminated with the... [more]

Bernie Madoff was sentenced yesterday to 150 years in prison. That is one hefty sentence, but of course, Madoff’s crime was hefty.  I know this is a food blog and one might ask what Bernie Madoff’s sentencing has in common with foodborne illness. To me, both are, in part, about government regulation failing at many levels. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Food and Drug Administration... [more]

FDA CONFIRMS E. COLI O157:H7 IN PREPACKAGED NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE REFRIGERATED COOKIE DOUGH Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has found E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that can cause serious food borne illness) in a sample of prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough currently under recall by the manufacturer and marketer, Nestlé USA.  The contaminated sample was collected... [more]

As our legal team has been working on the latest JBS Swift & Company recall, someone sent me a snippet from the company’s web site. If you look at the photo, you get the idea of what is supposed to be a driving force for this company, “We’re passionate about food safety.”   Let’s drill down on what we currently know to test the “passion”. After an expanded recall on June 28th, JBS... [more]

The latest beef recall is turning out to be a food disaster. JBS Swift & Company had originally issued a recall for 41,000 lbs of beef; now, JBS has expanded its recall to include over 380,000 lbs of beef. That is 190 tons of products or 9 times more than they previously recalled. There are numerous factors involved in this recall that are disturbing. First, this appears to be the summer of E.... [more]

The Nestle recall has sparked a spirited debate regarding warnings. For nearly 30 years I’ve been involved in litigation associated with warnings. It’s an issue in many products liability cases. It’s almost always an issue in the pharmaceutical and medical device multidistrict litigation we handle across the country. It was certainly front and center in the Vioxx litigation where claims were... [more]

An FDA news release announces that Plainview Milk Products Cooperative is recalling several products manufactured over the last two years because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. Two years of manufacturing potentially Salmonella contaminated products? Why wasn’t the problem discovered and addressed before now? Perhaps food companies should apply the “speed and efficiency”... [more]

June 26, 2009 – City Baking LLC, of Long island City, NY is recalling 781 individually wrapped City Baking brand Apple Crumb Cakes, because they contain Walnuts, which were inadvertently omitted from the label. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Walnuts run the risk of serious or life threatening illness if they consume these products. The product was distributed to 31 accounts... [more]

June 25, 2009 – Nuts For You of Preston, ID is recalling up to 30 lbs of Roasted and Salted Peanuts because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The product was manufactured using peanut products recalled by Peanut Corporation of America.  Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others... [more]

Colorado Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination Editors Note: This recall release is being reissued to expand the June 24 recall to include approximately 380,000 pounds of assorted beef primal products. WASHINGTON, June 28, 2009 – JBS Swift Beef Company, a Greeley, Colo., establishment is voluntarily expanding its June 24 recall to include approximately... [more]