Feds Recall 8.7 Million Pounds of Beef from Diseased & Unsound Animals
When you purchase beef, poultry or other food items from the grocery store or a restaurant, the assumption is that the food has been properly processed so that it is free of contamination that can cause food poisoning or other sickness related to food borne pathogens. A recent recall of 8.7 million pounds of beef produced by Rancho Feeding Corporation serves as a reminder that sometimes appropriate standards are not met which can expose consumers to the risk of serious illness. The recalled meat was from animals that were "diseased and unsound" and that were not properly inspected according to an official from the U.S Department of Agriculture quoted by CNN.
The just announced recall by the federal agency of Rancho Feeding Corporation products marks a significant expansion of an earlier recall that affected twenty tons of the company's meat products. The CNN report indicates that the company purportedly processed meat products from bovine that were diseased and unsound. Further, the meat was not subject to proper inspections. The FSIS report indicates that the meat must be removed from commerce because it is unwholesome or otherwise unfit for human consumption.
The unsafe food products were sent to distribution centers and retail centers in several states. The CNN report noted that it is still not clear what businesses actually received the recalled meat. The report from the FSIS report also makes it unclear whether the meat products were dispensed to any restaurants or markets. The recall covers a wide range of beef products including livers, feet, tongues, heads and cheeks in boxes that contain twenty pounds or more of the products. The recall also covered sixty pound boxes of veal trim and forty pound boxes of veal bones. The products included in the recall were processed and shipped out between January 1, 2013 and January 7, 2014. The products can be identified by the designation "EST 527" for the inspection mark from the USDA along with a case code number that ends in 3 or 4.
When consumers suffer illness or injury because of food poisoning or a foreign object in food products, essentially any company in the processing and distribution of the product might be liable, such as businesses that prepare, produce, package, store or sell the contaminated or otherwise unsafe food product. There are a number of legal theories that might serve as a basis for imposing liability based on state law and the specific facts of the case, such as breach of warranty, negligence, breach of contract and violation of a safety statute (negligence per se) just to name a few examples.
If you suffer food poisoning that may be linked to contaminated food products, there are a few steps you can take to increase the likelihood of a successful legal claim:
- Seek prompt medical attention.
- Preserve all packaging materials and unused portions of the food product.
- Keep any documentation showing when and where you purchased the food.
- Ask the doctor to conduct tests of stool and blood samples for food based pathogens.
While there are other steps that you might be advised to take to preserve your food poisoning claim or lawsuit, you can ask about such steps during a free consultation with an experienced Atlanta food poisoning attorney at Montlick and Associates. Our Georgia personal injury lawyers at Montlick and Associates have been representing those who suffer serious injuries for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.