Personal Injury Law

Nebraska Beef, Why Did You Not Disclose E. coli Tests? Are Criminal Sanctions Warranted?

By Bill Marler, Esq.

E. coli reporter, Josh Funk, and I had a chance to talk a bit following my speech to ConAgra’s Food Safety Council about Nebraska Beef Ltd.’s slow response to indications that its products might have been tainted with E. coli.  According to the FSIS, “Nebraska Beef was notified in the first half of June that two samples of its trim to be used in ground beef had tested positive for E. coli.”  You must wonder when this company will get a clue.  Will it be more illnesses?  More recalls?  More lawsuits (we just filed another)?  Or, perhaps criminal sanctions?  The company's products have now been linked to E. coli illnesses affecting 49 people in Georgia, Michigan and Ohio.  The meat recall announced last week was expanded from 531,707 to 5.3 million pounds.

I also talked to the Omaha World Herald about why ConAgra asked me to come to Omaha to speak to its Food Safety Council and executives responsible for food safety.  As I said:

"Paying attention to food safety is ultimately good for the bottom line and good for your company morally," Marler said.

Too often, Marler said, companies either ignore or do not recognize warning signs of food borne illness.

Marler credited ConAgra Chief Executive Gary Rodkin and other company executives for inviting him to speak.

"It says a lot for the company," Marler said.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on July 10, 2008 (boomark / email).