CBS NEWS RELEASE --June 1, 2007-- Peanut Butter Salmonella Cases Now Top 600
The number of people sickened since August by peanut butter tainted with salmonella has grown by more than 200, according to a new federal report.

NEWS RELEASE --Mar. 20, 2007-- Victims of Salmonella Poisoning Hire Masry & Vititoe in Suit Against ConAgra in the State of California.
LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Victims of peanut butter salmonella poisoning hire Masry & Vititoe and Girardi & Keese in lawsuitagainst ConAgra.

CONAGRA NEWS RELEASE --Feb. 23, 2007--ConAgra Foods Announces Test Finds Salmonella in Its Peanut Butter
"ConAgra Foods announced today that testing by some states has detected the presence of Salmonella within samples of peanut butter manufactured in its Sylvester, GA plant..."

ConAgra and Peter Pan Peanut Butter Recall Lawyers

If you watch the news, you may have seen that peanut butter -- that staple of American childhood -- was the subject of a food poisoning recall last week. According to an Associated Press article from Feb. 15, only two brands are affected: Peter Pan and Great Value, the house brand at Wal-Mart. Both are suspected of having been contaminated with salmonella by tainted jars from a ConAgra Foods processing plant in Georgia. Because peanut butter is a nontraditional source of salmonella, which is found only in animal products, authorities think the outbreak could have started unnoticed as long ago as August. In its warning, the FDA said 288 people in 39 states had been affected by Feb. 13. At least one food poisoning lawsuit against ConAgra has been filed as of Feb. 16, and the company would be wise to expect more.

Symptoms, which appear one to four hours after eating the contaminated peanut butter, include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and fever. Healthy people might dismiss it as the flu, but in older people, small children and those with compromised immune systems, salmonellosis and its complications can be deadly. ConAgra Foods urges consumers with either brand of peanut butter to immediately check the jars' lids for numbers starting with 2111 -- indicating that they came from the Georgia plant. ConAgra's response to date is to advise its customers to see a physician if they feel ill and return the suspect peanut butter jar lips/labels to ConAgra and/or the store where the peanut butter was purchased for a full refund.

However, if you think you may have been affected by this salmonella outbreak and are considering legal action, it might be better to hold on to the telltale jar. While you don't need the jar to prove you contracted salmonella from the recalled peanut butter, it could be valuable evidence in a food-borne illness lawsuit. If you don't have the jar, you can also have a stool sample tested to prove you were sick and to look for the specific strain of salmonella involved, which is called Salmonella Tennessee. The next step is to contact an attorney experienced in personal injury and unsafe products cases to discuss the injuries and damages you sustained.

Peanut Butter Recall News Links

CONAGRA NEW RELEASE --Feb. 16, 2007--An important message for our peanut butter customers. NEW Updated refund options available
"We are taking the precautionary measure of recalling all varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter beginning with..."

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2007--Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter Products Beginning with Product Code 2111 Recalled for Possible Salmonella Contamination
"ConAgra Foods today announced that it has taken the precautionary measure of ..."

CNN.com -- Feb. 14, 2007-- Salmonella outbreak linked to 2 peanut butter brands
"ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday."

FDA.gov -- Feb. 23, 2007-- FDA Update on Salmonella Outbreak Linked to All Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Certain Lot Numbers of Great Value Brand Peanut Butter
"Product testing by several states has now confirmed that Peter Pan peanut butter and certain Great Value brand peanut butter are the sources of the foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella Tennessee that began in August 2006."

Masry & Vititoe is investigating claims regarding tainted peanut butter. Please call or email our firm for a consultation.

Foodborne Illness News

CDC -- May. 24, 2007-- FDA Warning on Mislabeled Monkfish - Fish Believed to be Puffer Fish; Contains Deadly Toxin
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to buy or eat imported fish labeled as monkfish, which actually may be puffer fish, containing a potentially deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin."

Associated Press -- Feb. 26, 2007-- Risks of tainted food rise as inspections drop
"Amid high-profile scares, FDA safety testing has fallen by half since 2003"

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