Wegmans Lawsuit Filed in New York by Salmonella Lawyers as CDC Updates Pine Nut Salmonella Outbreak

Posted by on Nov 18, 2011 in Outbreak, Salmonella News

Our Salmonella lawyers filed a lawsuit in New York yesterday against Wegmans Food Markets and Sunrise Commodities on behalf of a woman who contracted a Salmonella infection after eating Turkish pine nuts she had purchased from a Wegmans store in New York.  A trace back of the pine nuts revealed that Sunrise Commodities, a New Jersey company, had distributed the pine nuts to Wegmans. The lawsuit seeks damages for general pain and suffering, medical expenses, travel expenses, emotional distress and other damages.

Contact our Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation regarding a Wegmans lawsuit.

Wegmans Salmonella Outbreak Updated by CDC — 43 Sickened by Pine Nuts

As of today, 43 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis were reported to the CDC from 5 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain was as follows: Maryland (1), New Jersey (2), New York (28), Pennsylvania (8), and Virginia (4).

Among 43 persons for whom information was available, illnesses began on or after August 20, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from <1 to 94 years, and the median age was 43 years old. Sixty percent of patients were female. Two patients were hospitalized.

Both epidemiological and microbiological evidence has linked this outbreak to eating Turkish pine nuts sold in bulk bins at Wegmans grocery stores. Some Turkish pine nuts were consumed as an ingredient in prepared foods, such as Caprese salad or asparagus with pine nuts, sold at Wegmans stores. The pin nuts linked to this outbreak were imported from Turkey and distributed by Sunrise Commodities.

Epidemiology involves determining what victims ate and then analyzing the data. In this outbreak, among 40 ill persons for whom information was available, 28 (70%) reported consuming Turkish pine nuts or products containing these pine nuts in the week before their illness began.

Early in the investigation, shopper card information was collected and used to identify which specific products to suspect as sources of illness. Ill persons gave permission for public health officials to retrieve shopper card purchase information. A review of shopper card records identified that ill persons had purchased the same type of Turkish pine nuts from bulk bins at different locations of Wegmans grocery stores before becoming ill.

Laboratory microbial testing conducted by public health laboratories in several states has identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from 14 samples of Turkish pine nuts or pesto containing Turkish pine nuts:

  • The Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from Turkish pine nuts that were purchased from bulk bins at Wegmans stores and collected from an ill person’s home, and from retail samples of Turkish pine nuts collected from a Wegmans store where ill persons reported shopping.
  • The New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center Laboratory, isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from three separate samples of homemade pesto containing Turkish pine nuts from three unrelated ill persons’ homes. In addition, culture of two samples of Turkish pine nuts which were purchased from bulk bins at different Wegmans stores and collected from two ill persons’ homes (one who also provided one of the pesto samples) yielded the outbreak strain.
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from two samples of homemade pesto containing Turkish pine nuts from an ill person’s home, and from Turkish pine nuts which were purchased from bulk bins at two Wegmans stores and collected from two unrelated ill persons’ homes.
  • The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis from a sample of pesto containing Turkish pine nuts, and from a sample of Turkish pine nuts which were purchased from bulk bins at a Wegmans store and collected from an ill person’s home. The outbreak strain was also isolated from a sample of bulk pine nuts collected from a second Wegmans store in Maryland that was not associated with any illnesses.

The evidence solidly links Turkish pine nuts sold at Wegmans to the outbreak. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

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