Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Food Poison Blog

The USDA is conducting testing on tater tots that were distributed to schools in Nebraska after several children who ate the tater tots complained of upset stomachs, according to the Associated Press.  A recall of 25,000 pounds of tater tots that were distributed to schools and day care centers was initiated following the complaints of illness.  The Lincoln Journal-Star reported on the recall: 

State health official Todd Landry says the department sent out 840 cases of the potatoes through its Food Distribution Program. The state learned Thursday morning that the product was being recalled and notified 345 schools and daycare centers, some of which were preparing the tater tots for lunch.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the potatoes had an odd taste and odor, and that some children who ate them later complained of upset stomachs. In Nebraska, three schools reported sick students.

In 2002, a food poisoning outbreak at an Illinois school was traced back to chicken tenders that had been exposed to ammonia.

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Knoxville, Tennessee-based House of Thaller, Inc. recalled 529 pounds of Smoked Salmon Dip on October 29th for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.  According to the FDA recall release, the salmon dip was distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia and was sold in Kroger-brand packaging.  The Georgia Department of Health identified the problem during routine retail sampling.

Product information from the recall release:

The Smoked Salmon Dip was packed in a clear plastic 7.5 ounce rectangular container and is marked with Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3. The company has also chosen to include the following products produced prior to and following the Smoked Salmon Dip (also in the clear plastic 7.5 ounce container):

Cajun Salmon Dip
287 pounds
Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3

Southern Crab Dip
945 pounds
Use By 04NOV2007A LN3 and 04NOV2007B LN3

Sundried Tomato Crab
516 pounds
Use By 24OCT2007A LN3
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

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The Associated Press reported today that Castleberry's, the plant that was the source of a botulism outbreak traced to several hot dog chili products, has closed its doors.  WFAA.com out of Dallas/Fort Worth carried the AP story, "Castleberry's shuts plant over botulism outbreak." 

Over the weekend, 16 cans of chili produced at the Castleberry's Georgia plant tested positive for botulism, and company officials have confirmed that the canned products were not cooked to high enough temperatures to kill Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism food poisoning.  AP reported:

So far, four cases of botulism have been reported -- two from Indiana and two from Texas. All four people consumed Hot Dog Chili Sauce Original, a product made by Castleberry's.

On Saturday, Castleberry's expanded its recall of canned meat products that may be connected to a botulism outbreak. It recalled more than 80 types of canned chili, beef stew, corned beef hash and other meat products in addition to the 10 brands it had recalled Thursday.

The latest FDA and USDA recall announcements can be found here:

• July 23 FDA Botulism Recall Announcement
• July 21 USDA Botulism Recall Announcement

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Washington Beef, a Toppenish, Washington firm, recalled over 82,000 pounds of beef products on Friday.  The recall was initiated after the Washington State Department of Health determined that the products were likely produced using non-potable water.  According to a recall release by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service:

The beef products subject to recall were shipped in bulk for further processing and may have been sold under different retail brand names in the affected states. Consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall.

The list of recalled products can be accessed on the FSIS Web site here:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_028_2007_Release/index.asp

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The Cattle Network posted a brief analysis of a study conducted by Harris Interactive between April 10 and April 16 - weeks before a number of E. coli outbreaks caused the recall of millions of pounds of ground beef.  The study showed that of 79 percent of consumers surveyed online, 86 percent are aware of food product recalls, and 29 percent believe that food product recalls are a serious concern. 

The poll also demonstrated that consumers especially attuned to recalls attributed to health or safety concerns, with 55 percent saying they would at least temporarily purchase another brand and 15 percent saying they would permanently switch brands.

Also noteworthy were consumers' varying levels of familiarity with six product recalls that occurred in the past 8 months that were measured in the study. Along with varying familiarity levels, the actual number of consumers able to name the brands involved in the recalls drops considerably.

For example, only 20 percent indicated they were familiar with a nationwide recall of chicken contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. And of those familiar with the recall, only two percent were able to name the correct brand involved. Meantime, 17 percent named other industry brands not associated with the chicken recall.

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