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.