Cincinnati, Ohio E. coli O157:H7 Illnesses Linked to J.B. Meats Ground Beef and Hamburger Patties
After Cincinnati, Ohio health officials found a possible link between two cases of E. coli O157:H7 and hamburgers processed by J.B. Meats and served at area restaurants, the company recalled about 72,800 pounds of ground beef and hamburger patties due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The products subject to the J.B. Meats recall are 5 and 10 pound clear packages of ground beef and ground beef patties in various size packages that were processed on and can be identified by the dates Aug. 18, 2010 through Aug. 18, 2011. J.B. Meats is a Cincinnati, Ohio establishment.
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.
E. coli O157:NM Outbreak in Michigan Linked to McNees Meats
The E. coli O157:NM outbreak in Michigan has sent 6 people to the hospital. E. coli O157 can cause thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), life-threatening complications of an E. coli infection that can cause kidney failure, central nervous system damage, heart failure, pancreatitis and other serious health problems. Read more about E. coli O157:NM, TTP and HUS. To date, five confirmed cases of E. coli O157:NM are confirmed and four are suspected in the following Michigan counties: Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac.
Our attorneys are investigating the outbreak, which has been linked to ground beef products from McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC, in North Branch, Michigan. In response to the outbreak, McNees Meats recalled about 2,200 pounds of ground beef that was distributed through the company store at 6267 Old State Road, North Branch, MI, and also sold to retail establishments and restaurants in Armada, Lapeer and North Branch, Mich.
The list of recalled McNees ground beef products includes:
- 1 and 10-lb. clear packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk.”
- 1 to1.5-lb., approximate weight clear plastic bags of “McNees Ground beef patties.”
- 1-lb. packages of “McNees Ground Round.”
- 1 and 2-lb packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk” sold in red and white plastic bags.
People who have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak may be able to file an E. coli lawsuit and recover money for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages. The E. coli attorneys at Pritzker Olsen have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of E. coli victims and victims of other food borne pathogens.
Contact the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen for a free case evaluation >>
Restaurant E. coli Outbreak Leads to Shutdown
A Honolulu E. coli outbreak traced to a Korean restaurant called Peppa’s has been followed months later by the restaurant’s closing. In early April, Peppa’s Korean Barbeque on King Street was ordered temporarily shut down by the health department because seven people who ate there had fallen ill with infections of E. coli 0157:H7.
The E. coli outbreak hurt business to the point where Peppa’s owner closed the restauran Friday, for good, KITV 4 News reported. Owner Chong Kim told the news station that people stopped coming to the restaurant after the E. coli outbreak . On April 1, the state health department temporarily suspended Peppa’s permit, shutting it down after four people who had eaten there were sickened with E. coli 0157:H7 infections. It was only closed for a day, but seven illnesses ultimately were associated with the outbreak. An investigation found the restaurant’s kitchen staff mixed raw meat with vegetables, which can spread bacteria. KITV said Peppa’s has two other locations in the Honolulu area that remain open.
Symptoms of E. coli infections usually show up three to four days after a person eats contaminated food, although in some cases it can be as long as eight days. Estimates are imprecise, but microbiologists guess that more than 70,000 Americans fall ill every year from E. coli bacterial infections. Of those infected, 5 to 15 percent develop life-threatening HUS E. coli, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, the leading cause of kidney failure in children and the leading cause of E. coli deaths. HUS is a disease that attacks a person’s red blood cells and causes serious illness including kidney failure, strokes, paralysis, blood clots, heart problems and other damage. Children, the elderly or others who have weakened immune systems are the most susceptible. E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of E. coli that produces large quantities of a potent toxin, called Shiga toxin, that forms in the intestine and gets taken up into a person’s bloodstream.
E. coli Lawyers Investigate Illnesses Possibly Connected to Texas Restaurant
Fralo’s Pizza in Leon Springs, Texas reopened this week after the city’s health department shut it down because of E. coli contamination in the restaurant’s water, local news sources reported. Dozens of customers and employees got sick after eating the restaurant’s food, news reports said. The source of the E.coli water contamination is still unknown, although the restaurant’s problems coincided with a sewage leak across the street from the restaurant. As much as 400,000 gallons of sewage leaked from a sewer line into the ground and a nearby creek bed.
City health officials have since reported that water samples from the restaurant are now coming back clean, and Fralo’s is testing the restaurant’s water supply daily as an extra precaution. According to Sarah Gateswood, a spokesperson for San Antonio Water System:
“It is very hard to determine because there are so many factors that can impact water quality especially from a well, such as septic tanks. We know the area has a lot of septic tanks. The most important thing is for people to rest assured that the tests we are taking are coming back clean.”
E. coli Water Contamination in Restaurants
E. coli attorneys and food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm are investigating illnesses potentially related to this outbreak. “By serving food to the public, a restaurant is essentially guaranteeing that the food product is safe,” said food safety attorney Elliot Olsen. “If it turns out that any portion of that food is not safe, and people become sick as a result, the restaurant can be held responsible.”
E. coli poisoning can lead to serious complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or E. coli HUS, which attacks blood cells and can cause kidney failure and even death. The lawyers at Pritzker Olsen represent clients who have become sick with E. coli from drinking contaminated water, and encourage anyone who thinks they may have become sick from E. coli in water to visit the doctor and get tested for the pathogen.
Sources:
http://www.ksat.com/news/24735142/detail.html
http://www.saws.org/latest_news/NewsDrill.cfm?news_id=702
Mandatory Restaurant Grade Posting
A few weeks ago I was invited to speak to a group of Illinois sanitation inspectors whose job it is to inspect and grade restaurants. My presentation was about how lawyers prove food safety cases. During the talk I asked the sixty or so attendees what they thought about mandatory restaurant grade posting. Surprisingly, at least to me, most were against it. Their comments are summarized as follows:
- Inspections are just “snapshots in time;” what happens on just one day may or may not be indicative of restaurant cleanliness throughout the course of a year
- With so much riding on a sanitation score, the relationship between inspector and restaurant will become contentious and lead to much more administrative action
- Posting restaurant scores is punitive; it’s better to encourage (one inspector from a small town said their practice is to publicize good scores)
- Many low risk violations may lower a score even though there is no real threat to the public.
My reaction to the inspector’s comments is that those concerns can be address in a uniform and fair grading system. And the system can be fine-tuned over time. Overall, the public’s right to know trumps any perceived unfairness to restaurants. Transparency is rarely a bad thing.
