Illinois Residents Sickened In Listeria Outbreak Linked To Deli Meats
Product Recalls - November 24, 2024
Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products From Shang Food Inc Linked To Multi-State Listeria Outbreak
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (November 24, 2024) – A listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat foods from Shang Food Inc has caused 11 illnesses across four states.
The company that made the deli meats is based out of Spartansburg, South Carolina. They have since recalled more than 72,000 pounds of meat and poultry products due to possible listeria contamination.
Prior to the recall, the products were shipped to retailers nationwide and could be purchased online. There have been nine hospitalizations linked to the outbreak and one infant death.
A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Injuries Caused By Foodborne Illnesses
Listeria infections can be very dangerous for certain populations. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems. It’s most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products.” The CDC estimates that 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, and about 260 people die from those infections. There are a number of common sources of listeria infections.
- Ready-to-eat foods
- Unpasteurized dairy milk
- Uncooked seafood
- Prepackaged salads
Companies that create food products have a legal obligation to ensure that what they are selling is reasonably safe. They must abide by all health and safety standards set by the Food and Drug Administration. When a company fails to take reasonable steps to prevent listeria outbreaks, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. There are many different ways that a company may have contributed to a listeria outbreak.
- Inadequate Sanitation: A company may have failed to regularly clean processing equipment.
- Improper Food Handling: A company may have allowed cross-contamination by mixing ready-to-eat foods with raw foods.
- Inadequate Employee Training: Employees may not be trained to follow standard operating procedures for food safety.
- Failure to Recall: A company may have continued to distribute products after discovering contamination.
It can be hard to know where to begin after becoming ill from a listeria outbreak. Many victims will need to take extensive periods of time away from work. A large portion of people will become so seriously ill that they die. For the most part, outbreaks are preventable when the right food safety procedures are followed. It is important that victims of listeria outbreaks understand that they do have rights.
Getting Legal Help For Listeria Outbreaks
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people who have been injured in this listeria outbreak. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent similar incidents down the road.
Have you or someone that you care about been harmed in a listeria outbreak? You may have legal recourse. Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
