Once again we are sounding the alarms that more food-related listeria dangers are lurking out there. A very popular brand of hummus, Sabra, has had a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall of about thirty thousand cases due to the high possibility it contained listeria monocytogenes, organisms that can result in severe and even fatal infections. This is especially the case for young children, individuals with weakened immunity, diabetics, and elderly or otherwise frail people. Healthier individuals may also fall prey to listeria infection, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, stiffness, bad headache, and significant fever. This can cause more severe or even fatal problems in the more at risk populations and the infection can cause miscarriages or stillbirths in pregnant patients. Listeria infection can also cause meningitis, so it is nothing to mess around with.
The listeria contaminated product is nothing new of late. We warned in an earlier piece about listeria contaminated apples and caramel apples. There have also been listeria problems with cheeses, cantaloupe, and Blue Bell Creameries ice cream. The most suspect foods, usually, are dairy foods, cheeses, hot dogs, and deli meats. With all the new outbreaks, new recommendations come. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that consumers wash produce, clean kitchen surfaces and utensils, that juices from foods like hot dogs be cleaned up really well, and that opened hot dogs or deli meats be eaten within a week. The CDC even recommends that the higher risk consumer avoid soe of the more suspect foods altogether, such as deli meats, cold cuts, meat spreads, and smoked seafood that is not cooked. It is also recommended by the CDC that consumers avoid unpasteurized products as another safety precaution in the fight against listeria infections.
If you or someone you know has suffered illness possibly of the listeria infection variety, or another foodborne illness, contact your medical provider and call Inserra & Kelley Law Offices to discuss possible compensation you may be entitled to.