Personal Injury Law

1998 and 2008 Salmonella Outbreaks At Malt-O-Meal Are Looking A Lot ALike!

By Marler Clark LLP

The talking heads are really chatting up the big Malt-O-Meal recall because they cannot understand how dry wheat or dry rice out of a bag can give somebody salmonella.
Bill Marler, the managing partner of the law firm that sponsors this site, is not surprised about that. He is, however, experiencing a sense of déjà vu as the Malt-O-Meal recall is due to the same strain, same genetic fingerprint of salmonella coming from the same plant that hundreds sick ten years ago.
In 1998, Malt-O-Meal cereals were linked to the same Salmonella Agona serotype that as of today has made another 23 people in 14 states sick.
At least three victims have been hospitalized.
Marler, who represented victims in the 1998 Malt-O-Meal outbreak, had this comment: “It makes me wonder how long the contamination has been present.”
The Minneapolis-based Malt-O-Meal, a privately held company that is nation’s fifth largest cereal manufacturer in U.S., recalled unsweetened Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals with “Best If Used By” dates beginning April 8, 2008 and continuing through March 18, 2009.
The products are sold nationally under both Malt-O-Meal labels and a list of brands that includes: Acme, American Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw’s, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality.
The recall is being investigated by the impacted states and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

Full post as published by Salmonella Blog on April 14, 2008 (boomark / email).