Don't Eat That Burger!

According to the Orlando Business Journal, Publix has issued a voluntary recall of a variety of products containing ground chuck because of possible contamination with the bacteria E. Coli. Publix, whose headquarters is in Lakeland, has more than 30 locations in the Orlando area. Products containing the potentially contaminated ground beef were sold in Publix grocery stores in the following Florida counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Leon, Suwannee, Columbia, Alachua, Marion, Putnam, Clay, Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Duval and Nassau. The beef was also sold in other states besides Florida.

This recall is an expansion of the voluntary recall issued by the National Beef Packing Company of Dodge City, Kansas. Apparently, beef originating from a slaughterhouse facility owned by National was distributed nationwide. The problem was discovered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture which ran tests on beef that had been purchased from National for further processing. This routine inspection and testing came back positive for the bacteria which if ingested can lead to diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food born illnesses.

Publix is recalling from its meat departments the following meat products with sell-by-dates between July 25 and August 12, 2011:

A person who becomes ill from ingesting food suspected of being contaminated by bacteria such as E. Coli should immediately go to the emergency room or get checked out by a doctor. If the food was contaminated and did in fact cause the illness, not only is the manufacturer who produced the food responsible, the store who sold the food is as well responsible. A company or person who places that dangerous food into the stream of commerce and hurts a member of the public can be help strictly liability for the harm caused.

Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A. – Orlando food poisoning lawyers