Nothing is scarier than a Class I recall of products in the food supply, but that’s what Georgia and Florida consumers have on their hands today. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that Georgia-based company K2D Foods issued a recall for more than 113,000 pounds of ground beef sold in Georgia and Florida, citing contamination with the potentially deadly E. coli bacterium.
The recalled products were sold in 24-pound vacuum-sealed packs of raw ground beef shaped into what are known as “pucks.” These pucks, produced from March 26 through April 12, were shipped to Georgia and Florida restaurant distributors. They can be identified by the code “EST.51308” inside the mark of inspection from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on their packaging. Restaurants receiving the contaminated ground beef pucks are urged not to serve them. The contaminated meat can be returned for a refund at the original place of purchase or discarded.
A Class I recall means that the situation prompting the recall is a health hazard with the “reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.” At Vladimir Tsirkin & Associates, P.A., our Fort Lauderdale product liability attorneys know just how frustrating and frightening it can be to experience ill health effects from a tainted product. Call us if you have been injured or harmed by a dangerous product.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the symptoms of E. coli begin to surface with three to four days of exposure to the E. coli bacterium. These symptoms include diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, vomiting and nausea. It is also not unusual to run a low-grade fever when suffering from an E. coli infection. For most people, recovery occurs within a week without any treatment. However, in others, especially the very young, the elderly, and people with immune systems weakened by disease, E. coli can cause serious outcomes, including death.
The severity of sickness caused by E. coli infection depends on the strain of the bacterium. Some types of E. coli are relatively harmless. Others are particularly ugly. Such was the case in last year’s massive recalls of romaine lettuce. In that recall, a strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 was responsible for sickening over 100 people across 25 states and hospitalizing nearly half of them.
O157:H7 produces the Shiga toxin, which causes destruction of the red blood cells. The damaged blood cells create a blockage in the kidneys, leading to hemolytic uremic syndrome, and ultimately kidney failure. While kidney failure can cause death, it is typically treated with dialysis. Other complications from hemolytic uremic syndrome can be fatal, including bleeding problems, brain swelling, stroke and perforations of the colon that allow fecal matter to invade the body. Sometimes, multiple organ failure can result.
Vladimir Tsirkin & Associates, P.A. has a long history of advocating for our injured clients. We will stand up for your rights in a court of law, ensuring you are fully compensated for your injuries. Give our Fort Lauderdale product liability attorney a call now to discuss the particulars of your case at 954-687-9787.
