Here is a press release we just sent out: ATLANTA, GA – 6/23/09 – In Fulton County, Georgia, a lawsuit is being filed on behalf of a 7-year-old Georgia girl who developed E. Coli after handling and baking Nestle Toll House cookies with her grandfather.  The suit is being filed by the girl’s attorneys Richard J. Arsenault and J. R. Whaley, of food safety law firm Neblett, Beard & Arsenault,... [more]

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2009 Media Inquiries: Stephanie Kwisnek, 301-796-4737, stephanie.kwisnek@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards Brands of Pistachios Products linked to the previous recall by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat... [more]

If you look at CDC statistics regarding Americans and foodborne illness, chances are almost everyone reading this has at one time or another contracted food poisoning. The most likely pathogenic culprit would be the Norovirus (Norwalk Virus Family).   The Norovirus onsets after about a day or two, when contaminated food is consumed, and usually lasts two to three days. The symptoms include nausea,... [more]

There is a new update of the CDC report regarding the victims in the Nestle cookie recall. “As of Monday, June 22, 2009, 70 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular DNA fingerprint have been reported from 30 states. Of these, 41 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; these confirmatory test results are pending on the others.” The numbers... [more]

There are always many questions surrounding any food recall. The recent recall of Nestle Toll House cookie dough is no exception. In fact, there are usually more questions than answers. And, when the consumer public doesn’t get straight answers, they get worried. Here are some of the typical questions we are getting… What is E. coli O157:H7? E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of bacterium that is often... [more]

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2009 – International Meat Co., Inc., a Chicago, Ill., establishment is recalling approximately 6,152 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall include: [View Labels, PDF Only] “5-pound, plastic lined... [more]

OTTAWA, June 22, 2009 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Kildara Farms are warning the public not to consume Kildara Farms Organic Gourmet Salad Greens described below because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The affected product, Kildara Farms Organic Gourmet Salad Greens is sold in 113 g plastic containers bearing Best Before JUN 25 and UPC 8 10770 00001 4. The manufacturer,... [more]

Well, I have spent the last few days in Minneapolis closely following the developments and responding to inquiries regarding the Nestle E. coli recall. Job #1 has been coordinating our firm’s 24/7 response to the many calls and e mails from victims of this most recent foodborne illness.  I was in town Friday in connection with a hearing which involves national litigation surrounding a defective... [more]

Nestle has posted on its VeryBestBaking.com some interesting links. One is to a press release regarding the cookie recall, a second is to a recalled product list and then there is a curious third link. It is a link titled “Why you should not eat raw cookie dough”.  Will they be blaming people for contracting the foodborne illness their product may harbor? There are many issues that need discussing... [more]

With the flurry of news about possible E. coli O157:H7 in Nestle Toll House raw cookie dough products, let’s not forget the most common source of foodborne E. coli, raw beef. The Source news reports that raw beef products including ground meat and beef kabobs sold from Vince and Joe’s Fruit Market of Shelby Township, Michigan, between May 10-17 may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. E. coli... [more]