According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 48 million people will get sick from food poisoning this year. About 3,000 of those people will die from their foodborne illness. Although eating food contaminated with bacteria is the most common cause of food poisoning, other causes include eating food contaminated with viruses, parasites, or toxic substances. Symptoms of food poisoning may include varying degrees of upset stomach, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and dehydration. The long-term effects of food poisoning may include kidney failure, chronic arthritis, brain and nerve damage, and death.
Unfortunately, sometimes the food products on grocery store shelves have harmful bacteria or other microorganisms in them. Although cooking and processing this food can help kill existing bacteria, it does not prevent all foodborne illnesses. Sometimes it doesn’t kill all harmful bacteria. And sometimes food just doesn’t need to be cooked. In either case, the contaminated food may cause people to get sick.
Oftentimes, food products are recalled when it becomes known that there is a good chance the food will cause foodborne illness. Nearly every kind of food has been recalled at one point or another. Recently recalled foods include spinach, croissants, cheese, salad dressing, frozen pizzas, cake, cookies, peanut butter, and pet food.
The food safety widget on this page provides information on some of the most current food recalls, but a more comprehensive list with accompanying recall notices is available here. If you have a recalled food product, here are some tips:
- Do not eat the product
- Do not give the food to others
- Do not feed your pets with the product
- Do not puncture or open recalled cans
- Return the product to the store you purchased it at or dispose of the product as instructed in the recall notice
- Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the recalled product
If you suspect that you or a loved one has suffered a foodborne illness, the Department of Agriculture recommends that you preserve the evidence and seek treatment:
- Preserve the evidence. If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, mark “DANGER” and freeze it. Save all packaging materials, such as cans or cartons. Write down the food type, the date, other identifying marks on the package, the time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Save any identical unopened packages.
- Seek treatment as necessary. If the victim is in an “at risk” group, seek medical care immediately. Likewise, if symptoms persist or are severe (such as bloody diarrhea, excessive nausea and vomiting, or high temperature), call your doctor.
If you suspect the food that caused the foodborne illness has been or should be recalled, we also ask that you give us at Roberts & Roberts a call so that we may evaluate your potential case. People who were harmed by tainted food may have a claim for the costs of their medical treatment, lost wages, pain, and future damages.
