Food Poisoning Threat Looms with Ground Beef Recall

It seems as though there are more reports of E. coli contamination and
other deadly outbreaks with every passing year, as public health officials
become better at tracing these outbreaks back to the source. In a recent
example of this phenomenon, more than 43,000 pounds of ground beef were
promptly pulled from the shelves at Walmart and other grocery retailers,
after it surfaced that these
products may have been contaminated by E. coli.

The producer of the contaminated beef, Lakeside Refrigerated Services,
sells to grocery retailers across the country under names like Marketside
Butcher and Thomas Farms. In this case, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has defined the risk of death, illness, and serious
injury for the affected products as “high,” giving this recall
a Class I rating.

Working under the USDA, the Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS
conducts preliminary investigations on all reports of food contamination
– and if there is enough evidence for a recall, the FSIS will then
classify the level of the threat and demand action from manufacturers.
According to the FSIS, Class I classification means that “there is a reasonable probability
that eating the food will cause health problems or death.”

E. coli is a deadly infection that may cause cramping, diarrhea, blood
in the stool, abdominal cramps, and dehydration within two days of consuming
contaminated food products. If you’ve recently purchased ground
beef from Marketside Butcher or Thomas Farms with a use or freeze by date
between June 25th and July 1st, please make sure to
review this list of affected products on Consumer Reports and contact the manufacturer.

What Are My Rights If I Get Sick?

Food manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that the products they
sell are safe and free from dangerous contamination. While it’s
still unclear what caused the recent E. coli outbreak at Lakeridge Refrigerated
Services, those who become seriously ill after consuming affected products
may be entitled to compensation.

At Wagner Reese, we often handle complex
food poisoning claims and can help you take legal action after an illness or injury. As prominent
product liability lawyers serving Indiana and Illinois, we are currently available to take claims
related to this recent ground beef recall.

Contact us at (888) 204-8440 for more information.