Salmonella Illnesses Prompt Peanut Butter Recall

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 16, 2012

An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) into a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 29 people in 18 states has resulted in a peanut butter recall for national retailer Trader Joe’s. The CDC and FDA investigation found that the retailer’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter was the likely source of the food borne illnesses. The FDA recently released a statement that said that the FDA, CDC and the State of California alerted Trader Joe’s officials about their investigation’s findings, which prompted the retailer to pull the product from stores across the country.

The CDC found that people who ate the tainted peanut butter became ill beginning on June 11 and acknowledges that there are likely many more salmonella cases than the 29 confirmed illnesses. More than three in four people sickened by the peanut butter were children under 18 years old, but no deaths have been linked to this salmonella outbreak. Salmonella is a type of bacteria and is one of the most common types of food borne illnesses. Symptoms can include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and other symptoms, which usually appear 12 to 72 hours after it has been ingested. In some cases, it can be deadly to children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

It is not yet known whether or not the contaminated peanut butter was sold at stores in Florida, but anyone who bought Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter this summer should discard it or return it to Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

In most cases where people ingest contaminated food, they suffer mild symptoms that result in nothing more serious than a missed day of work or school with flu-like symptoms. However, for some people, a food borne illness can result in devastating conditions that require extensive hospital care and in rare cases, paralysis, brain damage and other life-changing repercussions. If you have suffered a serious illness due to a contaminated product, you may be entitled to damages to help pay medical bills, replace lost income and cover other damages. For more information about your rights, the law and your legal options, contact Orlando product liability lawyer James O. Cunningham today at 800-425-2004. Few Orlando personal injury attorneys have more experience or a better record of success helping clients receive the fair and just compensation they deserve. Call today for effective legal representation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.