What do beef, ham, poultry, and Toyota Prius vehicles share in common?
All are products that have been the subject of recalls in October 2018.

Millions of pounds of beef produced by JBS Tolleson, Inc. may be contaminated
with Salmonella

Nearly 7 million pounds of beef are currently being recalled by Arizona-based
meat producer JBS Tolleson, Inc. over salmonella concerns. The producer
believes the potentially contaminated meat was distributed nationwide
to numerous retail locations. So far, 57 potential victims of the outbreak
from 16 states have been identified. The recall has been classified as
a Class I Recall in the high health risk category, which means that there
is a reasonable probability that using the product will cause serious
adverse health consequences or death.

Consuming food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria can cause salmonellosis,
which is a common food borne illness that can result in fever, diarrhea,
abdominal cramps, and hospitalization. Immunocompromised individuals,
the elderly, and infants are most at risk of developing serious illness
after consuming food contaminated with Salmonella.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS) recommends that consumers check their freezer and refrigerators
for these products. The products were distributed under brand names such
as Kroger, Cedar River Farms, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms Natural,
JBS Generic, and Showcase. The full list of products currently included
in the recall can be viewed
here.

Ready-to-eat meat products from Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods and Johnston
County Hams recalled due to Listeria concerns

In addition to the millions of pounds of beef recalled, almost 20,000 pounds
of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products were recalled by Ukrop’s
Homestyle Foods due to concerns over potential contamination with the bacteria
Listeria monocytogenes. Various types of pinwheels and premade turkey and chicken wraps were
among products included in the recall.

Even more ready-to-eat meat products were recalled by Johnston County Hams,
totaling almost 90,000 additional recalled products. The products recalled
by Johnston County Hams included deli loaf ham products shipped to distributors
in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, and Virginia. At
least four confirmed cases of listeriosis have been linked to the outbreak
at this time, including one death.

Consumption of
Listeria bacteria can result in a serious food borne illness called listeriosis.
Like salmonellosis, listeriosis most often affects elderly individuals,
infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Listeriosis
can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, along with headaches, confusion,
loss of balance, meningitis, miscarriage, and death. Unfortunately, listeriosis
has a long incubation period, which means that individuals may not develop
symptoms for several months after consumption of the contaminated product.

Consumers can review the full list of products involved in the Ukrop recall at
this website

The list of products recalled by Johnston County Hams is accessible
here.

Millions of Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicles recalled after learning that cars
may stall while in motion

In addition to the many food and meat products recalled this month, certain
vehicles have also been the subject of a worldwide recall. More than two
million Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicles were recalled this month amid concerns
that the cards could stall while moving. Typically, when a fault occurs
in the hybrid system of the Toyotas, the cars should enter a fail-safe
driving mode. However, the defect that has been discovered could result
in the vehicles stalling, rather than safely entering the fail-safe mode.
Although steering and breaking functions should remain intact during a
stall, there are clear concerns that the defect could lead to accidents
on roadways throughout the world.

This recall follows another recent recall of Toyota vehicles, including
the Prius, over a potential fire risk.

If you or a loved one has been affected by any of the above recalls,
contact Wagner Reese Law Firm for a free consultation.