Jack-The-Green-Sprouts-sproutsjpgJack & The Green E. coli Sprout Outbreak:

Minnesota and Wisconsin state health and agriculture officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak associated with alfalfa sprouts produced by Jack & The Green Sprouts. Health officials warn that retailers and restaurants should not sell or serve alfalfa sprouts produced by Jack & The Green Sprouts, and consumers should not eat them.

The ill individuals range in age from 18 to 84 years, and five are female. Four of the cases are residents of the Twin Cities metro area, and three live in greater Minnesota. Two were hospitalized. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services identified two additional cases of E. coli infection.

Jack & The Green Sprouts is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and distributes alfalfa sprouts to states in the upper Midwest and possibly other states. The seven Minnesota cases and at least one of the Wisconsin cases were exposed to alfalfa sprouts from a variety of locations, including grocery stores, restaurants, salad bars and commercial food service. Jack & The Green Sprouts alfalfa sprouts may be packaged in a plastic clamshell with a brightly colored round label on top that notes the sprout variety. The alfalfa sprouts may be mixed in the same package with other sprout varieties.

dole_manufacturing_codeDole Listeria Outbreak:

Eighteen people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from nine states since July 5, 2015. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Connecticut (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (4), Missouri (2), New Jersey (1), New York (5), Ohio (2), and Pennsylvania (1).

Ill people range in age from 3 years to 83, and the median age is 66. Seventy-two percent of ill people are female. All 18 ill people were hospitalized, including one person from Michigan who died as a result of Listeria. One of the illnesses reported was in a pregnant woman.

Currently, there are also 11 cases of Listeria in five Canadian provinces related to this outbreak. The number of ill people reported from each province is as follows: Ontario (7), Quebec (1), New Brunswick (1), Prince Edward Island (1), and Newfoundland and Labrador (1).

The majority of Canadians cases (55%) are female, with an average age of 79 years. All cases have been hospitalized, and three people have died.

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicate that packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio and sold under various brand names are the likely source of this outbreak.

Alfalfa-sprouts-suspected-source-of-two-different-outbreaks_strict_xxlSweetwater Farms Salmonella Sprouts Outbreak:

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Oklahoma Department of Health to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella linked to sprouts.

Five people in Kansas have become ill as part of this outbreak after consuming sprouts from Sweetwater Farms from Inman, Kansas. In addition, three residents from Oklahoma also have Salmonella infections that match the outbreak strain.

Sweetwater Farms was inspected and samples collected of irrigation water and product have tested positive for Salmonella. Sweetwater Farms has decided to recall sprouts in lot 042016. Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommends that people not consume any sprout product from Sweetwater Farms at this time.

raw-mealSalmonella RAW Outbreak:

As of February 17, 2016, 18 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Virchow have been reported from 15 states. The number of ill people identified in each state is as follows: Florida (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Rhode Island (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Utah (2), and Wisconsin (1).

Among people for whom information is available, illnesses started on dates ranging from December 5, 2015 to February 3, 2016. Ill people range in age from 1 year to 76, with a median age of 34. Fifty-six percent of ill people are male. Among 12 ill people with available information, four (33%) reported being hospitalized.

Of the 14 ill people who have been interviewed, 14 (100%) reported consuming powdered supplements or meal replacement powders in the week before illness onset; all 14 (100%) specifically reported consuming Garden of Life RAW Meal products.

The Utah Public Health Laboratory and Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella from open containers of Garden of Life RAW Meal collected from ill people’s homes in Utah and Oklahoma.

On February 12, 2016, Garden of Life, LLC issued an expanded recall of its RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products available in chocolate, original, vanilla, and vanilla chai to include these additional lots.

If you or a family member became ill with a Listeria, E. coli or  Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis (RA), Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark attorneys for a free case evaluation.