The first lawsuit was filed against Serenade Foods in this Salmonella Outbreak. Here is the answer: Connelly Efiled Answer of Defense (1)
A total of 36 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis were reported from 11 states. The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 21, 2021, to August 16, 2021. Sick people ranged in age from 1 to 83 years, with a median age of 38 years, and 57% were female. Of 32 people with information available, 12 were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 27 people interviewed, 14 (52%) reported preparing and eating frozen breaded stuffed chicken products. They bought different brands of raw frozen breaded stuffed chicken products from multiple stores.
Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that were part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS).
WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples were closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture collected five raw frozen breaded stuffed chicken products from a grocery store where a sick person purchased these products. Testing identified the outbreak strain in two samples of Kirkwood’s Chicken Cordon Bleu. USDA-FSIS and Indiana officials collected unopened packages of Kirkwood Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese from a sick person’s house for testing and identified the outbreak strain in the product. USDA-FSIS investigated and found that these products were produced at facility P-2375.
WGS analysis of bacteria from 36 sick people’s samples and 5 food samples did not predict any antibiotic resistance. Testing of three sick people’s samples using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing methods by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory also showed no resistance.
On August 9, 2021, Serenade Foods recalled approximately 59,251 pounds of frozen raw breaded stuffed chicken that bore establishment number “P-2375” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Salmonella: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $800 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.
If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.