The nation's schools were not promptly informed about contaminated peanut butter and other recently recalled foods, which resulted in hundreds of food poisoning cases in recent years, a new Government Accountability Office report finds. According to this news article in Consumer Reports, it took up to a week for states to find out what products had been recalled as a result of which the contaminated foods may have been served in federal lunch and breakfast programs in school cafeterias.

According to the GAO report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) failed to make sure that the states and schools got this important recall information in a timely manner. The government provides schools with 15 to 20 percent of the food served in cafeterias, which is eaten by about 30 million children nationwide. The GAO report specifically looked into product recalls involving peanut butter, beef and canned vegetables that were contaminated either by E. coli or salmonella bacteria.

Product Recall News Slow to Reach Schools

Apparently the only time schools were informed about food recalls right away was with a nationwide beef recall after a video showed poor treatment of cows in a California farm where sick cows were also slaughtered. Authorities were slow to get the word out on the peanut butter recall, which sickened 700 people and killed nine across the country. In that case, the manufacturer is being prosecuted for knowingly packaging and distributing peanut butter contaminated with salmonella. The GAO is recommending in its report that federal and state agencies work better and coordinate their efforts to make sure that these product recalls are carried out effectively in the nation's schools.

Food Poisoning Can Cause Serious Personal Injury

It is critical that government agencies get the word out promptly and effectively so that these dangerous and defective products do not affect our children. This is an extremely important issue because it concerns the safety and well-being of our children. It's also significant because we know that bacterial infections are easily transmitted to young children, the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. Both E. coli and salmonella infections have the potential to become lethal. The medical, hospitalization and long-term costs of these illnesses can be significant. These food-borne illnesses can also leave children with lifelong and long-term health problems.

If your child has been seriously injured because of contaminated food or food poisoning, please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer, who will examine and evaluate your case and explain your legal rights and options. Whether the negligence is on the part of the food producers, manufacturers or distributors, it affects consumers. In such cases, the negligent parties should be held accountable. Innocent victims should not be the ones to suffer.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

California Food Poisoning Lawyer Concerned About Food Safety in School Cafeterias is a post from: Personal Injury Attorney News Portal

A company in Fresno, California, is issuing a product recall after concern over food poisoning relating to its ground beef products that are believed to be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. According to news report in the Fresno Bee, Beef Packers Inc. is recalling more than 825,000 pounds of ground beef shipped this summer because of an outbreak of a drug-resistant salmonella that may have sickened consumers – including two in Tulare County, California and 21 people in Colorado.

The meat was produced between June 5 and June 23, 2009 and distributed to retail centers in California, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that the beef was repacked under different retail names. So, consumers should check with the store where they bought the beef to determine if they have bought any of the recalled, salmonella-contaminated beef. The recalled beef products bear the establishment number "EST. 31913" printed on case code labels.

Biggest Beef Recall this Year

A news report in the Fresno Bee also states that this is the country's biggest beef recall this year. The USDA is classifying this defective product recall as Class I, reflecting the highest level of risk. State health officials in Colorado say 21 people in that state were sickened in June by a strain of salmonella called "Newport" that has been traced to ground beef shipped by the Fresno company. Of the 40 food poisoning cases in nine states, five have been reported in California.

Salmonella infections can not only be expensive to treat, but also extremely painful and in some cases, even life-threatening. The most common symptoms of such food poisoning include chills, headache, nausea, diarrhea, painful abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to three days of consuming the contaminated products.

In food poisoning cases that lead to serious personal injury or death, victims and/or their families may seek compensation from the food producer to cover medical expenses, loss of earnings and other related damages. In cases were negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death claim against the negligent manufacturer.

Consulting a Food Poisoning Attorney

If you have consumed any of this contaminated beef and are experiencing symptoms of salmonella food poisoning, please get medical attention immediately. Your doctor or physician will conduct lab tests that will help determine whether you are suffering from a salmonella infection. If you still have the package of meat you consumed, please preserve it so it can be tested for the bacteria as well. These tests will help determine what caused your salmonella infection. Please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who will help guide you through the process, inform you about your legal rights and options and hold the negligent parties accountable.

California Beef Recalled for Salmonella Food Poisoning is a post from: Personal Injury Attorney News Portal

Tanimura & Antle Inc. of Salinas, California, has recalled about 22,000 cartons of lettuce because of a California food poisoning hazard. Officials believe that this batch of lettuce may be contaminated with salmonella, according to a Consumer Reports article. The cartons of bulk or wrapped romaine lettuce are marked with the lot code 531380 and were apparently harvested between June 25 and July 2. These batches of salmonella-tainted lettuce were sold to retail, wholesale and food service outlets across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

This is another of the many bacteria-related food product recalls that have been made this summer. The others include tainted cookie dough, alfalfa sprouts, beef, and nonfat milk. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are about 76 million cases of food poisoning in the United States annually, leading to about 5,000 fatalities each year.

Salmonella is a dangerous kind of bacteria that could turn out to be lethal. The most common symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after the infection. Most people usually recover from the illness. But the elderly, infants and those with weak immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

There is no question that this recall underscores the need for tough food safety regulations in the United States. We see a new food recall or instances of food poisoning almost on a weekly basis these days. These types of recalls are expensive and often, it is difficult for the food manufacturer to get the word around. There is always the risk that this contaminated lettuce could make people sick, although there haven't been any reports yet.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of food poisoning or if you have contracted salmonella infection as a result of consuming contaminated lettuce, please consult with an experienced California personal injury lawyer to find out more information about your legal rights and options. Treating salmonella infections can be costly. Sometimes, it involves lengthy hospitalization and in some cases, can leave the victims with lifelong adverse health effects. A skilled food poisoning attorney can help you recover medical expenses, loss of wages, future medical expenses and other related damages.

Salmonella-Tainted Lettuce Recalled after Fears of Food Poisoning is a post from: Personal Injury Attorney News Portal