N.Y. Based Spice Co. Ruled Source of Salmonella

According to Food Safety News, a judge recently ruled that a New York-based spice company whose pepper was discovered as the source of a Salmonella outbreak will owe a meat company $33 million after it was forced to recall 1.4 million pounds of meat due to contamination from the pepper.

The Salmonella outbreak occurred from 2009 to 2010 and sickened 272 people across fourteen U.S. states. The meat company was forced to recall their product when tests revealed that the red and black pepper coating the meat products was contaminated with Salmonella.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the spice company is no longer in operation, and therefore the meat company may not receive the $33 million that they are owed.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop a fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after consumption, and the illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days.

Healthy individuals are normally able to recover without treatment, but children, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems are more susceptible to developing a severe infection.

“In severe cases of a Salmonella poisoning, hospitalization may be required to ensure victims' recoveries,” states EMSL's Vice President of Microbiology and Life Science, Jason Dobranic, Ph.D. “EMSL Analytical has the ability to detect Salmonella strains and other foodborne pathogens in environmental and food samples in our advanced microbiology laboratories for companies and individuals involved in lawsuits.”

For more information about EMSL's food testing division, please contact EMSL at 800-220-3675, email info@EMSL.com,  or visit the EMSL Website or  the Food Testing Lab on the Web.

Source: Webwire

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