Two People Die After Drinking Listeria Tainted Milk In Massachusetts - Consumers Urged Not To Drink Milk Products From Whittier Farms

Posted on December 27, 2007 by Listeria Attorney

“Got Milk?” Better check to see if it is produced by Whittier Farms and is distributed to customers in the greater Worcester/Shrewsbury area. Brand names produced at Whittier Dairy include Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook and Maple. Consumers were warned by the Health Department not to drink any milk products from Whittier Farms in Shrewsbury after two people died from listeria bacteria contamination, the Department of Public Health announced. Four cases of listeriosis infection have been identified by DPH. The cases involved three elderly residents and a pregnant woman from Worcester County.

According to the Whittier Farms website, the farm:

…has taken a unique approach to farming as we milk the cow, haul the raw milk to our processing plant in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and then sell the processed milk at our milk store and at our processing plant. The whole process from cow to cup is two days, which means farm fresh milk to our satisfied and loyal customers.   We have revived the old method of bottling milk in glass bottles. The glass bottles keep the milk colder, which means the milk stays fresher, giving the milk a sweet and smooth taste. Our milk is also bottled in plastic and cardboard for those who prefer this convenience.

An udder catastrophe.

Tags: , , ,

2007 Lisertia recalls add up

Posted on December 24, 2007 by Bill Marler

With all the E. coli outbreaks, Listeria has taken the back seat during 2007. The year's recall list --a long one-- maintained by the Food Safety & Inspection Service started with 290 pounds of listeria contaminated hog head cheese. That was on Jan. 3, 2007. The responsible party was Pap's Louisiana Cuisine.

Two days later, Denver's Gold Star Sausage Company recalled 15,514 pounds of sausage franks due to listeria. There would be seven more listeria recalls by year's end, the largest being a 2.8 million pound recall of chicken breast strips by West Columbia, SC-based Carolina Culinard Foods.

Other listeria contaminated products included ready-to-eat turkey, semi boneless ham steaks, frozen sausage rolls, and a chicken and pastry product. All totaled, listeria-laced recalled products came to just a tad under 3 million pounds.

The only listeria recall remaining "active" at year end was Meridian, TX-based Double B Foods Inc., which sought return of 98,000 pounds of its frozen sausage rolls on Nov. 15.

So, it was not a big year for listeria recalls, but neither was it an insignificant one. Especially if you were a pregnant North Carolina woman hopeing for a baby instead of a still-born.

Tags: , ,

North Carolina Issues Listeria Warning

Posted on December 21, 2007 by Bill Marler

Numerous media outlets are reporting that the North Carolina Division of Public Health has issued a listeria warning after identifying three cases of the disease in women in Moore, Durham and Mecklenberg counties and another potential case in Buncombe County.

Here's where to go for the official word from Public Health.

Listeriosis is an infection caused by eating food contaminated with a bacteria.

Outbreaks have been associated with consumption of unpasteurized milk and contaminated soft cheeses, vegetables and ready-to-eat meats.

The disease primarily affects pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.

The four cases all involve pregnant women, three of which resulted in miscarriages. The three confirmed cases came as a result of eating contaminated soft cheese, although a single product does not seem to be the source of the cases, the Division of Public HPealth said.

The state is cautioning pregnant women against eating soft cheeses, hot dogs, deli-style meats and prepared salads.

Tags: