Category: Food Poisoning

Lean Cuisine is recalling about 92,206 pounds of meals after getting complaints from consumers about plastic pieces in the products sold nationwide. According to a CBS news report, the meals could be contaminated with extraneous materials specifically pieces of hard white plastic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service said the problem came to light after five complaints about the packaged meals. …Read the rest »

Frozen and lightly-salted edamame or soy beans sold at some Trader Joe’s stores are being recalled for possible listeria contamination. According to a CNN news report, these products were sold at Trader Joe’s stores in Southern California, Arizona, Southern Nevada and some parts of Utah. …Read the rest »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reporting that Salinas-based Tanimura & Antle has recalled some bags of single-head romaine lettuce because of possible E. coli contamination. According to a KTLA news report, the voluntary recall affects several states across the country and involves 3,396 cartons of bagged romaine lettuce that were distributed. Anyone who might have purchased the romaine bags from Oct. 15-16 are asked to dispose of them out of an abundance of caution. No one has reported getting sick after eating the romaine. …Read the rest »

Sauer Brands has recalled 29 Spice Hunter herb and spice products because they could pose a risk of salmonella. According to Consumer Reports, Sauer said notification of possible salmonella contamination from its supplier of organic parsley is what triggered the recall. In addition to organic parsley, the company also recalled other spices and spice blends including Herbs de Provence, Cilantro, Saigon Organic Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice and Everything Bagel Crunch. …Read the rest »

Seneca Snack Company has announced a voluntary recall of Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips and Clancy’s Cinnamon Apple Chips because of possible salmonella contamination. According to an alert posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, the recall is only for specific cinnamon flavor lot codes. No other apple chips are affected. …Read the rest »

Prima Wawona has expanded its recall for bagged peaches to include bulk fruit because of a potential salmonella risk. According to a report in Delish.com, in addition to Aldi and Target, retailers who received the recalled peaches include Kroger, Ralphs, Wal-Mart and Wegmans. So far, the salmonella outbreak has sickened 68 people across nine states. The loose peaches may have the following PLU numbers on them: 4037, 4038, 4044, 4401, 94037, 94038, 94044, or 94401. Target’s recall includes both bagged and loose peaches. …Read the rest »

A recall has been issued for frozen shrimp sold at major U.S. retailers that may have been contaminated with salmonella bacteria. Experts have warned consumers not to each any frozen cooked shrimp bought from Costco, BJ’s Wholesale Club, or Tops between February and mid-May this year. According to Consumer Affairs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it found salmonella bacteria in tested shrimp produced by India-based Kader Exports. …Read the rest »

A number of food items have been recalled after a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination was discovered. Freshouse, a North Carolina-based company, has issued a recall for a number of brands of Red B Potatoes, Lemons, Limes, Organic Limes, and Valencia Orange. According to news reports, the voluntary recall was issued following a routine internal inspection in which Freshouse identified listeria on some of the equipment in the company’s packing facilities. …Read the rest »

Various products including salads sold at Wal-Mart, Kroger and H-E-B stores are included in a new public health alert because they contain recalled onions that are tainted with salmonella. According to a USA Today news report, the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Inspection Service issued the alert Wednesday night for ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that contain onions that have been recalled by Thomson International Inc. because of concerns that the products may be tainted with Salmonella Newport. …Read the rest »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) has issued a recall alert for frozen beef and chicken taquitos and chimichangas. According to a news report, officials say these products contain diced green chilies that have been recalled by the producer Sun Valley Foods, and may contain extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic. These pieces of plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause injuries to the teeth or gums.

Details of the Recall

The frozen meat and poultry taquitos and chimichangas were produced by Ajinomoto Foods North America, which is based in Texas as well as here in San Diego, California. The recalled products bear the establishment number “EST 5590,” “P5590” or “EST. 17417” printed on the packaging above the expiration date. These products were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

Ajinomoto Inc. apparently discovered the problem when they identified pieces of hard plastic in their production process and in a barrel of diced green chilies that was received from their ingredients supplier, Sun Valley Foods. That company initiated a recall of the green chilies with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness is urged to contact a health care provider. Officials are saying those who still have these products at home should not consume them. They should be discarded or returned to the point of purchase.

The Danger of Contaminated Food

There have been a number of recent recalls involving extraneous items in food such as rubber, plastic and metal. When items such as glass pieces or metal pieces get mixed in with food, the consequences could be serious. People who consume this contaminated food may suffer oral injuries or even metal poisoning. They may suffer internal injuries if they ingest the metal pieces. Recent studies by the FDA have found that about 25% of all food-related complaints it received over a period of one year involved the presence of a visible foreign object. This same study also indicated that nearly 15% of those who complained had reportedly suffered an injury or illness relating to the foreign object.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of contaminated food or due to a defective product, you may be able to seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to advise victims regarding their legal rights and options.