Personal Injury Law

What will I do when Larry King Retires?

Posted on August 25, 2010
I had the pleasure of discussing Salmonella-tainted Eggs the other evening on Larry King Live with several other interesting guests.

CDC Update of Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Linked to Eggs

Posted on August 24, 2010
In May 2010, CDC identified a nationwide increase in the number of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates with PFGE pattern JEGX01.0004 uploaded to PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections...

More than 1,300 Ill and 550,000,000 Salmonella Recalled Eggs is an "Eggbarrassment"

Posted on August 24, 2010
Yesterday I was speaking with David Hendee of the Omaha World-Herald (along with Larry King, FOX, LA Times, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, KABC, etc.) about the 'Eggbarrassment' to the egg industry and to the government for the latest of what seems like a constant stream of foodborne illnesses and food recalls...

Busy Video Morning on CNN and MSNBC

Posted on August 24, 2010
I did two of the cable channels before 7:00 AM this morning in between doing three radio shows:  

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The Ag Industry Fries One of Its Own

Posted on August 24, 2010
Friends and enemies say that I have a less than eclectic reading style – I will read most anything that has my name in it. So, although I may well have been attracted by my name in lights (or at least in the article), I stayed for the smack down delivered on one Mr...

Salmonella Egg Fiasco - House and Senate Agriculture and FDA Oversight Committees should hold joint hearings

Posted on August 23, 2010
As I said to the Associate Press yesterday - "The history of ignoring the law makes the sickening of 1,300 and the forced recall of 550 million eggs shockingly understandable." I was talking about the owner of the largest egg farm at the center of this massive recall and outbreak of Salmonella Enteriditis...

CNBC "Quote of the Day" Food Safety between Odierno and Ahmadinejad

Posted on August 23, 2010
I am not sure this is something that CNBC does often, and I am not sure how I feel about it. "A strong democratic Iraq will bring stability to the Middle East, and if we see Iraq that's moving toward that, two, three, five years from now, I think we can call our operations a success...

An eggspecially busy day!

Posted on August 23, 2010
In between being interviewed by FOX New York, Seattle and Los Angeles and being taped for the Today story for tomorrow, and doing several other radio and TV interviews - one by Skype and preparing for the Larry King Show in an hour, I had the chance to finish up my slides for a speech that I am giving at the CDC PulseNet Conference next week...

Wright County Egg owner, DeCoster, seems to be one bad Egg

Posted on August 22, 2010
I spoke with Alec MacGillis this morning about the 550,000,000 eggs being recalled and the 1,300 people sickened and the company, Wright County Egg, in the middle of it. His story, 'Before salmonella outbreak, egg firm had long record of violations,' and the violations he cites is even shocking to me, and I have been at this for 17 years...

Salmonella can be much more than a "tummy ache"

Posted on August 22, 2010
In the middle of a nationwide Salmonella outbreak, last week Elizabeth Landau of CNN asked if she could talk with one of my clients who had been stricken by Salmonella and had suffered complication – more than just a 'tummy ache.' Fortunately for Elizabeth, but unfortunately for my clients, it is not hard to find more than a few...

Chickens and Chicken Feed link Quality Egg to Wright County Egg and Hillandale Salmonella Outbreak

Posted on August 22, 2010
MARY CLARE JALONICK, of AP, (A.K.A., 'the egg gal,') confirmed this morning what everyone speculated, that 'both farms (Hillandale and Wright County Egg) are linked to businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years...

Mr. President, Senator Reid, there are 550,000,000 and ONE reasons to move on S. 510!

Posted on August 21, 2010
In the middle of yet another massive recall and illness outbreak - 550,000,000 eggs being recalled - with millions being spent on recall costs or millions be lost in sales - Mr. President, Senator Reid, please do not forget one other reason to pass this Bill...

Minnesota reports 14 Ill - Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms Recall 550,000,000 Salmonella-Tainted Eggs

Posted on August 21, 2010
Illnesses in at least seven additional people in Minnesota have been connected with an expanded multi-state recall of eggs from an Iowa producer due to contamination with Salmonella. This brings the total number of cases in Minnesota linked to the recall to 14...

Good Egg, Bad Egg and Salmonella Enteritidis

Posted on August 20, 2010
Someone emailed me this photo.  Seems to sum up my week. Recall information:The Aug. 18 recall includes eggs with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942. They were sold under the brand names: Albertson Boomsma's Farm Fresh Glenview James Farms Kemps Lund Mountain Dairy Pacific Coast Ralph's The Aug...

Hillandale Farms of Iowa recalls Eggs from April 9 to August 18

Posted on August 20, 2010
(FDA Press Release) Hillandale Farms of Iowa is voluntarily recalling shell eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail grocery stores and foodservice companies which service or are located in fourteen states, including the following: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin...

Egg Recall by the Numbers - How many chickens does it take to make 380,000,000 Eggs?

Posted on August 20, 2010
On August 13, Wright County Egg conducted a nationwide recall of shell eggs on 3 of its 5 farms. Further epidemiologic and traceback information led to Wright County Egg expanding its recall on August 18 to cover all 5 farms and 380,000,000 eggs. Shell eggs under the August 13, 2010 recall are packaged under the brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps...

"I am the Egg [Rule] ... "

Posted on August 20, 2010
Sorry, the old Beatle's song keeps running through my head.  And, with 380,000,000 eggs being recalled, and well over 1,000 people sick (and rising), I really should not be making jokes. Not surprisingly I usually start my morning reading Phil Brasher in the Des Moines Register...

NPR Following the Salmonella Egg Outbreak

Posted on August 20, 2010
Federal officials say they don't yet know the size of a national epidemic of salmonella from contaminated eggs. Between May and July, health officials counted nearly 2,000 salmonella cases -- compared to a normal caseload of 700. Officials say they expect the number to grow when illnesses from late July and early August are logged...

Salmonella Enteritidis-tainted Eggs top 550,000,000

Posted on August 20, 2010
The New York Times William Neuman just reported that: Hillandale Farms of Iowa, issued a recall Friday of 170 million eggs that it sent to 14 states.  The company said 'laboratory-confirmed illnesses' had been associated with the eggs, and federal officials said the illnesses were part of a large outbreak of salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people across the country since May...

So, you thought this week only Eggs had Salmonella?

Posted on August 20, 2010
Salmonella Mamey Fruit Pulp The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc. Ontario, Calif., or the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, N.J. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners showed an epidemiologic link between an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Typhi infections and the products...

Wisconsin adds 21 to the National Salmonella Enteritidis Egg Outbreak

Posted on August 19, 2010
California has been at 266, Minnesota at 7, Nevada at 30 and according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State health officials today confirmed a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 21 diners at a Kenosha restaurant in June to the nationwide recall of 228 million eggs (now increased to 380 million eggs) by an Iowa producer...

U.S. Marshals act to prevent distribution of food from a rodent-infested warehouse in Athens, Georgia

Posted on August 19, 2010
U.S. Marshals, acting under a court order sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized packaged food products from a rodent-infested warehouse in Athens, Ga. A variety of products, including crackers, cookies and potato chips, were intended for sale to jails and prisons throughout the southeastern United States...

CDC, almost 50,000 Sickened by Salmonella Enteritidis Wright County Egg

Posted on August 19, 2010
From the CDC Post of moments ago: In May 2010, CDC identified a nationwide increase in the number of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates with PFGE pattern JEGXX01.0004 uploaded to PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections...

380 Million Eggs Recalled, possibly 1,953 Salmonella Enteritidis cases linked Nationwide

Posted on August 19, 2010
Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa Thursday expanded its recall to include 380 million chicken eggs that could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria, in one of the largest such recalls in recent history. It's "one of the largest eggs recall in recent history," said Food and Drug Administration Division (FDA) of Public Health and Biostatistics director Sherri McGarry...

Despite being on Colbert the AMI opposes making non-O157:H7 STECS adulterants

Posted on August 19, 2010
I just could not stay awake late enough to watch Colbert have fun with Pat Boyle the other night.  To me it looks like Pat "meat" his match.  Interestingly, the President just made a "recess appointment" of the person who will be part of making the adulterant decision: Elisabeth Hagen, Nominee for Under Secretary for Food Safety, Department of Agriculture Dr...

Salmonella in Pickles?

Posted on August 18, 2010
According to press reports, contaminated pickles have been linked by the Cook County Illinois Department of Public Health to an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning (no serotype announced). According to public health officials, six confirmed cases of Salmonella have been linked to pickles purchased from the Assi Market in the Chicago suburb of Niles...

What goes on in Vegas with Salmonella is becoming a Nationwide Problem

Posted on August 18, 2010
Like many other parts of the country, Las Vegas and Clark County have been hit hard over the last months. Just a few weeks ago it was four people in Clark County who became ill with Salmonella typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. Those four were part of a two-state outbreak (five ill in California too) believed to be a result of consuming a frozen fruit product called Goya brand mamey fruit pulp...

Umpqua Dairy recalls pasteurized milk and juice due to 23 Salmonella Braenderup cases

Posted on August 18, 2010
Oregon Public Health officials have recalled Umpqua Dairy brand Milk, half and half, cream and buttermilk as well as Umpqua Dairy brand gallon orange juice and fruit drinks. Umpqua Dairy Products Co., are sold in Oregon, southwest Washington and northern California...

Wright County Egg seems to be in some hot water - too bad it is not 160 degrees

Posted on August 18, 2010
AP reports a moment ago that "[h}undreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in three states and possibly more, and health officials on Wednesday dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs."  Goodness! Earlier today I was reading Philip Brasher's Blog (yes, in part because he mentioned me and our lawsuit against Wright County Egg) and was somewhat shocked that Wright County Egg is '[a] livestock industry giant with a long history of immigration and environmental problems is now connected to a nationwide recall of eggs that the government blames for an outbreak of salmonella poisoning...

Foodborne Illness Surveillance in the time of HB 2749 and SB 510

Posted on August 18, 2010
In the middle of yet another nationwide recall of food (228,000,000 eggs to be exact) and an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to those eggs that appears to have begun in the Spring and announced in August, I had memory of House Bill 2749 (passed Jul7 2009), Sec...

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