Hannaford Beef Salmonella Outbreak: Free Consultation Regarding Investigation and Lawsuit
The Hannaford supermarkets Salmonella ground beef outbreak in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts Maine has hospitalized at least seven people and infected at least seven others with Salmonella Typhimurium, a strain of bacteria that is resistant to some antibiotics. Our attorneys are investigating this outbreak and are available for a free consultation.
Although several people have been sickened and more may be at risk, the USDA was not able to determine what suppliers provided beef parts for the ground beef. According to the USDA, Hannaford’s records are “limited” and do not provide adequate information to determine which beef from which supplier went into the grinder.
Salmonella in Ground Beef
Ground beef has been implicated time and again as a transmission vehicle in foodborne outbreaks, some of them Salmonella outbreaks that have resulted in severe illness. Our experience is that traceback of contaminated beef to the producing facility is often unsuccessful because of inadequate record keeping at retail establishments that grind beef products. Traceback investigators must be able to determine what products were incorporated into each batch, when the grinding occurred, where it was stored and when it was shipped to other stores within the same chain. Although keeping these records is easier than ever with computer technology, many processors choose not to take this step to help trace back contamination and prevent illness.
With effective records, products can be removed from the market in a fashion timelier and more complete, helping to prevent further cases of illness and recurrent outbreaks caused by the same source. For instance, some investigations have found systemic causes of contamination in cutting lines and machinery at the meatpacking level. The faster an inspector is tipped off to the problem, the less cross-contamination will occur and the fewer people will be put at risk for serious illness and death.
Tags: Maine Salmonella Claim, Massachusetts Salmonella Claim, New Hampshire Salmonella Claim, New York Salmonella Claim, Vermont Salmonella Claim
About Fred
Attorney Fred Pritzker is the founding partner of PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a national Salmonella law firm that has won millions for victims of food poisoning. He has over 30 years of experience and is listed in current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Contact Fred for a free consultation.