Health Law

Sprouts: 235 victims . . . and counting???

By Marler Clark

A new study finds that only 60 percent of Americans search their homes for recalled foods when a recall happens.  Reuters carried an interesting article on the study recently, and it got me thinking . . . about the current sprouts situation, as usual.  I have talked to a number of different publications recently about the sprouts outbreak generally, and more specifically about the actions (or some would say omissions) of Caudill Seed in responding appropriately to the outbreak.  As i've talked about for many days now, Caudill Seed has chosen to conduct a "market withdrawal" rather than announce a "recall." 

Why?  You got me.  Actually, that's not true.  I know perfectly well that Caudill is simply avoiding the stigma, and ultimately the financial responsibility, of announcing a recall of its product--an unfortunate decision for the many Americans who continue to eat sprouts, and who probably believe that the FDA, and more importantly the businesses involved in this recent outbreak, have done everything they can to protect the people they profit from.  (By the way, at last count by the CDC, there were 235 confirmed illnesses in this outbreak)  But a class I recall requires "serious risk of injury or death."  Oh, I forgot, we don't have that here.  Are these 235 people that the CDC says were sick in this outbreak really just monopoly figurines or something?     

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on May 14, 2009 (boomark / email).