Health Law

Sprouts salmonella outbreak: 88 ill in 15 states?

By Drew Falkenstein

Jimmy John's restaurants, implicated in a Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts (at least in Illinois), were asked to pull alfalfa sprouts off their menus as a precautionary measure.  In what seems like a good move, if a little late, by the man himself, the call came from Jimmy John Liautaud, in a letter to franchisees.  More importantly, Liautaud's statement indicated that there are possibly 88 victims in 15 states, and the Jimmy Johns Illinois Salmonella outbreak may only be a sub-outbreak in what may be a national problem.

"Approximately 88 people have gotten ill in 15 states," Jimmy John wrote. "Of those, 40 have been interviewed. Of those 40, 28 have eaten at Jimmy John's. Of those 28, 25 have eaten sprouts."

Liautaud said the company's main supplier of sprouts has not generated a positive test for Salmonella I 4,5,12,i-, which has been reported to be the outbreak strain.  The state of Illinois has reported 43 confirmed cases in the outbreak since November 1.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on December 21, 2010 (boomark / email).