Personal Injury Lawyers > Personal Injury Blog > Recalled Products > Milk Products Recalled After Salmonella Scare

Personal Injury Blog

Milk Products Recalled After Salmonella Scare

Food distributors across the country are recalling milk products that could be linked to salmonella contamination at a Minnesota milk processing plant.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration announced that Minnesota Plainview Milk Products Cooperative was recalling a range of milk products, ranging from instant non-fat dry milk and food thickening agents to whey protein food stabilizers because of salmonella contamination. These products were sold by the company to other distributors to be sold, in turn, to manufacturers.  That’s how the milk products could possibly have ended up in products available to the general public like cocoa, non-fat dry milk and other products.

The Food and Drug Administration conducted an investigation of the Plainview facility, and found some signs of salmonella contamination on some of the equipment.  The FDA was made aware of the possible salmonella contamination when the US Department of Agriculture found traces of salmonella in Dairyshake Powder pouches not meant for retail sales. The agency then began its investigation and traced the source of contamination to the Plainview milk products. Plainview had supplied one of the ingredients that were contained in the Dairyshake powder.

The FDA recall notice last month had announced that Plainview milk products have stopped the production of the possibly contaminated products. None of the products were sold directly to the public, and the recall was limited to industry customers, like distributors and manufacturers. These distributors are now announcing a recall of cocoa, non-fat dry milk and other products.

Retailer Meijer Inc. announced that it’s recalling one type of its instant non-fat dry milk which is sold in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois. Dallas-based CPI Foods has recalled about 15,000 packets of non-fat dry milk that were part of meal kits distributed to community services in North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, Kentucky and West Virginia. Saint Louis-based Precision Foods is recalling its Madagascar Vanilla Cocoa. NOW Foods is recalling products containing a whey protein concentrate. McClancy Seasoning Company is recalling its Alba instant non-fat dry milk products and snack shake mixes. Giant Foods and Stop & Shop are also recalling some of their dry milk products.

Salmonellosis is caused by the salmonella organism, and is one of the most common food-borne illnesses. Not all strains of the bacteria are deadly or even very serious. However, some strains can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and eventually bloody stools. These symptoms can even be followed by death.  Persons with a weakened immune system like children and the elderly are even more at risk for salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella is usually transmitted though fresh produce, poultry, meats and eggs.  Persons working in food service establishments and food processing companies must maintain hygiene, and must wash their hands thoroughly before handling foods. Care must be taken while handling raw poultry, eggs, and raw meats. Foods must be cooked thoroughly before eating, and consumption of raw eggs must be avoided. Meats and poultry must not be left unrefrigerated for long.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of recalled products. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

---