Actually, colored poop is just one of a rainbow of potential applications for E. chromi, an engineered strain of E. coli that secretes color in the presence of pollutants. E. coli bacteria are sensitive to environmental pollutants. When the team of artists and scientists equipped them with a pigment-producing device that switches on in the presence of various toxins, they  created a way to use bacteria as an inexpensive, user-friendly biosensor.

Potential applications include a cheap disposable biosensor for arsenic and probiotic drink that would alert patients to possible ailments by coloring their poop. A purple output, for example,  may indicate the presence of a Salmonella infection.

E. chromi won MIT’s International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in 2009, was a finalist for the 2011 Index Awards, and a winner of the 2011 World Technology Awards. Although it may sound unusual, this isn’t the only example of a bacterial biosensor. Scientists at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) recently  attached a fluorescent protein to some E.coli and synchronized the colony to flash on and off like a neon sign. When the blinking colony detected low levels of arsenic, it slowed its rate of flashing.

The outbreak, which initially was thought to have stricken 37 salad bar customers at Schnucks grocery stores in the St. Louis area, was linked to a single lot of Romaine lettuce grown on a California farm.

The search for the source has been ongoing sine the outbreak began on October 10. Because multiple tests at various Schnucks locations never revealed the presence of E.coli, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the traceback investigation to include suppliers and distributors of the grocery chain.

Working with several state agencies, the FDA conducted traceback investigations for romaine lettuce to try to identify the source of contamination. Traceback analysis determined that a single common lot of romaine lettuce harvested from a California farm was used to supply the Schnucks grocery store chain as well as the university campus in Minnesota during the time of the illnesses. The same lot was also provided to a distributor that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to determine if this lot was sent to this university campus.

As of November 30, 2011, 60 people had been infected with the same strain of E. coli 0157:H7. The confirmed illnesses by state are as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).

An E.coli infection can create serious illness. Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2-8 days after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can begin as the diarrhea is improving; this condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and the elderly. Signs and symptoms of HUS may include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, decreased urination, and swelling of the face, hands, feet, or entire body. Persons who experience these symptoms and believe they are at risk for HUS should seek emergency medical care immediately.

Anyone with legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.

If you have bloody stools, abdominal cramps, and other symptoms of E. coli, you need to contact your doctor immediately.  You may have an E. coli infection.  You need to make sure that your doctor gets a stool sample and has it tested specifically for E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogenic strains of E. coli bacteria.  If you test positive, E. coli cultures from the stool sample will need to have genetic-fingerprinting tests done on them.  You need to make your doctor aware of this.

For more information about E. coli testing and protecting your legal rights, contact our law firm for a free consultation.

Nationwide, State-Wide, or Area-Wide Distribution
Food 4 Less Stores in IL and IN
Food Lion Stores in FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, WV
Harvey’s Stores in FL, GA, SC
Jay-C Food stores in IN
Kroger Stores in AR, IL, IN, KY, MI, MS, MO, OH, TN
Payless Super Market Stores in IN
Reid’s Stores in SC
Ruler Food Stores in IN
Save-A-Lot Stores East of the Rocky Mountains
Scott’s Stores in IN
Supervalu Stores Nationwide

Delaware
Dover AFB in Dover Delaware

Illinois
Hilander, 2206 Barnes Blvd, Rockford IL-Illinois
Hilander, 3134 11th Street, Rockford IL-Illinois
Hilander, 2514 S. Alpine Rd., Rockford IL-Illinois
Hilander, 2601 N. Mulford Rd., Rockford IL-Illinois
Hilander, 3710 N. Main St., Rockford, IL-Illinois
Hilander, 1715 Rural St., Rockford IL-Illinois
Hilander, 4860 Hononegah Rd., Roscoe IL-Illinois

Indiana
Payless Super Market, 1845 N. Scatterfield Rd., Anderson IN-Indiana
Payless Super Market, 1900 Applewood Center Dr., Anderson IN-Indiana
Payless Super Market, 3050 Meridian, Anderson IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 624 E. 16th St.,Bedford IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 360 E. Main St., Bloomfield IN-Indiana
Owen’s, 1245 S. Jefferson, Huntington IN-Indiana
Owen’s,  2718 Guilford, Huntington IN-Indiana
Payless Super Market, 65 Beck Lane, Lafayette IN-Indiana
Payless Super Market, 2513 Maple Point Dr., Lafayette IN-Indiana
Owen’s, 903 Lincolnway S., Ligonier IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 600 West Broadway St., Loogootee IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 120 E. 2nd St., Madison IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 1307 West Main St., Mitchell IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 1503 West Broadway, Princeton IN-Indiana
Ruler Food Store, 805 S. Main St., Salem IN-Indiana
Owen’s, 302 W. Market, Warsaw IN-Indiana
Owen’s, 2211 E Center St., Warsaw IN-Indiana
Payless Super Market, 1032 Sagamore Pkwy West, West Lafayette IN-Indiana

North Carolina
Bottom Dollar, 1327 E. Dixie Drive, Asheboro NC-North Carolina
Bottom Dollar, 1810 Hwy 64-70 S.E., Hickory NC-North Carolina
Bottom Dollar, 3136 E. Kivett Drive, High Point NC-North Carolina
Bottom Dollar, 235 East Plaza Drive, Mooresville NC-North Carolina
Bottom Dollar, 1136 W. Pine Street, Mount Airy NC-North Carolina

The recalled ground beef and hamburger patties were sold to restaurants in the Cincinnati area, but the company did not say which restaurants. Each clear plastic bag and label bear the establishment number “EST. 1188” within the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s mark of inspection.

J.B. Meats said it was notified on Aug. 12 of an investigation of two E. coli O157:H7 illnesses. The Cincinnati Health Department reported there were two patients who became ill on July 20 and 21 that may have resulted from ground beef consumed on July 16 and 17, the company said.

Epidemiological and microbiological evidence points to a possible link between the ground beef products produced by J.B. Meats on July 15 and the illnesses in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company said the recall is precautionary, as there has been no conclusive link between the illnesses and the ground beef produced at the facility.

E. coli O157 can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), both severe illnesses that can cause kidney failure, central nervous system damage (seizures, stroke, paralysis, etc.), heart failure, pancreatitis and death.

Since that time, there have been no announcements of any charges against the company and we must assume that the investigation is either still going on or that the company has been cleared. The announcement of a criminal probe is rare in FSIS press releases and authorities never expounded on reasons why the investigation was taking place — except to say records of food safety practices were not reliable.

The beef and veal recall also was unusual because there was no pathogen announced as the reason for the recall. Most beef recalls are due to positive test results for E. coli O157:H7 or other Shiga toxin-producing types of E. coli. Rather, FSIS inspectors found that the products were recalled because they were not made according to the company’s food safety plan. “The products are adulterated because the company made the products under insanitary conditions failing to take the steps it had determined were necessary to produce safe products,” FSIS said in last February’s news release.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was at the forefront of the investigation, with assistance from FSIS. “The investigation has uncovered evidence to show that the food safety records of the establishment cannot be relied upon to document compliance with the requirements,” the press release said.

Below is the Seltzer’s bologna recall retail distribution list

New Jersey – NJ
Walmart – undisclosed locations in New Jersey

BJ’s Wholesale Club
1910 Deptford Center Rd.
Deptford, New Jersey

BJ’s Wholesale Club
152 Route 73
Voorhees, New Jersey

North Carolina – NC
BJ’s Wholesale Club
2370 Walnut St.
Cary, North Carolina

Pennsylvania – PA
Walmart – undisclosed locations in Pennsylvania

BJ’s Wholesale Club
1785 Airport Rd. South
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Maryland -MD
Walmart – undisclosed locations in Maryland

Note from the FSIS regarding this retail distribution list: “FSIS has reason to believe that the above retail location(s) received various sizes of Seltzer’s Beef Lebanon Bologna that have been recalled by Palmyra Bologna Company, Inc. This list may not include all retail locations that have received the recalled product or may include retail locations that did not actually receive the recalled product.”

We posted on this blog about grocery store liability yesterday: Bologna E. coli: Attorneys Investigate Grocery Store Liability. The same information is true for stores like Walmart and  BJ’s Wholesale Club that sell grocery items and have delis.

Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our contact form for review by our attorneys.

]]> http://www.ecolilawyer.com/2011/03/walmart-and-bjs-wholesale-club-on-lebanon-bologna-recall-retail-distribution-list/feed/ 0 http://www.ecolilawyer.com/2011/02/food-safety-budget-greatly-expanded-at-fda/ http://www.ecolilawyer.com/2011/02/food-safety-budget-greatly-expanded-at-fda/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:49:34 +0000 E. coli Lawyer http://www.ecolilawyer.com/?p=2518 Food safety and nutrition spending would increase by $324 million at the Food and Drug Administration in the next fiscal year under the proposed budget of the Obama administration. FDA’s “Transforming Food Safety and Nutrition” initiative is the biggest of four “critical initiatives and increases” in the budget proposal.

FDA said in a press release that the food safety and nutrition upgrade goes with a $4.3 billion overall request that reflects a 33 percent increase from the fiscal 2010 enacted budget. The agency said it will establish a prevention-focused food safety system and leverage the valuable work of FDA’s state and local food safety partners. “The result will be a stronger, more reliable food safety system to protect American consumers,” the FDA press release said.

The increase will help FDA begin to implement the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act signed by the president last month. Already the agency has taken steps to sharpen its role in detecting outbreaks of E. coli and other foodborne illness.

Most recently it was reported that three people from Michigan who shared smoked meat products from Zillman’s butcher shop became ill with E. coli 045 infections. The health department said the investigation is continuing. So far,
wild bear and venison processed at Zillman Meat Market have tested positive for E. coli O45. This bacterium is one of the six most common non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing types of E coli that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists as pathogenic to humans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently considering whether to regulate certain non-O157 STECs in beef products.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen has years of direct experience representing victims of  non-O157 E. coli outbreaks. An E. coli attorney for the firm is conducting his own investigation of the Zillman outbreak. Meanwhile, the firm is accepting cases. Free consultations are available by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form. Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning around the country.

All three of those who became ill from E. coli O157:H7 were hospitalized, and one person developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

HUS attacks a person’s red blood cells and can lead to kidney failure, heart problems, anemia, brain injury, paralysis, stroke and other serious health consequences. A state health department spokesman said the beach remained closed Friday as a precaution but could reopen this weekend.

The people became ill July 12 and July 13. All three went swimming at the beach sometime from July 8-11.