Food Poisoning

According to recent data released by the US Public Health Service, an estimated 76 million people acquire foodborne disease (FBDs) annually, with 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. Special risks of death exist in elderly persons or individuals who are immunocompromised or pregnant. The most common causes of contaminated food products are inadequate refrigeration, unsanitary food preparation and processing conditions, infected food handlers, and infectious organisms including:

Botulism. Most often found in improperly canned foods or foods in dented cans, especially corn, green beans, and peas. It can also be found in improperly stored or heated restaurant foods. Infant botulism can be caused by spores in honey.

Campylobacter. Found in the stool of poultry, other birds, and other farm animals. Children get it easily from eating improperly cooked poultry or drinking unpasteurized milk.

Clostridium. Found in the stool of humans and other animals. Children most often get it when food handlers have not washed their hands properly, and the food is left out for awhile, as on a steam table. I call it “cafeteria cramps.”

E. coli. Another organism found in the stool of humans and other animals. It can be spread by improper food handling. Severe cases are often caused by eating undercooked ground beef or drinking unpasteurized milk or apple juice. Eating unwashed fruit or vegetables can also cause illness.

Salmonella. Commonly found in eggs, poultry, and other meat. Children can get salmonella easily from eating raw or undercooked eggs, undercooked poultry or meat, or drinking unpasteurized milk. Improper food handling is another common cause of salmonella – for example, putting cooked poultry back on the same plate where it had been when raw.

Staphylococcus aureus. Commonly called "staph," and thought to be the most common cause of foodborne illness. This organism is a common cause of skin infections, from impetigo to pimples to boils. This can get in the food during improper food handling. Warm food (100 degrees) is the ideal place for the bacteria to grow and produce a toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking.

Mushrooms. Seven different classes of toxins are found in a variety of different types of wild mushrooms. Some are lethal.

Solanine poisoning. This toxin is found in potatoes that have started to sprout. The biggest problem is from the sprouts themselves or from the potato skins.

Fish poisoning. Some fish poisoning is serious, especially from large, tropical fish. One type is mild: scombroid poisoning. In this case, some tuna and similar fish have excess histamine. Eating them can cause immediate allergy-like symptoms (sweating, flushing, hives, headache, diarrhea, etc.).

Shellfish poisoning. Some shellfish, especially during red tides, contain nerve toxins. These can cause paralysis, unusual sensations, and hot-cold reversal – among other symptoms.

Norwalk virus. The most common foods implicated are cookies, sandwiches, salads, ice, and raw shellfish.

Toxoplasma gondii. People are most likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat.

In addition to biologic organisms described above, other common causes of food-related injury and poisoning result from the unintended introduction of non-biologic substances or “foreign bodies”, which have included rocks, pins, animal bones, and hazardous chemicals. Among the most common injuries sustained as a result of ingesting non-biologic contaminants include broken teeth, with resulting gum and bone infection; TMJ, the acronym for temporomandibular joint disorder, which is caused by derangement of the cartilage where the lower jaw connects to the skull causing pressure and stretching of the associated sensory nerves; damage to the trachea, stomach and internal digestive organs; and death.
Parker Scheer has successfully represented individuals and children injured as a result of contaminated food products.  

Find Out If You Have A Case

If you have suffered an injury from a food product or were a victim of food poisoning, contact us for a free confidential case review and receive a response within hours, or call toll free 866-414-0400. If you need a lawyer outside of Massachusetts, contact us for a referral.

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