New Law Blogs

"Gross Contamination" of Cheese Found in Illinois

By PritzkerLaw

The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed three cases of Campylobacter jejuni and suspects at least four more resulted from consumption of home-made white cheese sold out of cars and trucks in parking lots at churches and markets in the Rockford area.

The unlabeled cheese, sold in rounds packed in clear food storage bags, has been found by the state public health laboratory to have high levels of fecal coliform and Listeria. Tests to link the Campylobacter infections to the cheese are more complicated and may not be completed until next week.

The Rockford Register Star has published a series of stories about the contaminated queso fresco cheese and the outbreak of illness, saying it is predominantly confined to the area's hispanic population. Sue Fuller, a state health department spokeswoman, told the newspaper this week that the operators have been found but will probably not be fined. Rather, she said, they would receive an education program.

The group was selling the homemade cheese at 30 to 50 locations, including at least one retail store, in violation of laws requiring registration and labeling.

"We did find out that the Listeria is Listeria monocytogenes, one of the more severe types,'' Fuller said, "and the fecal coliform is quite high, 150,000 colonies per gram, so this is considered gross contamination.''

Campylobacter is common and usually not severe in healthy adults, but can cause serious illness and death in young children, the elderly and others with weak immune systems. Listeria can cause serious diarrhea in adults and is a particular threat to pregnant women because it can cross over to the baby and cause fetal infection, miscarriage and stillbirth.

National food safety law firmPritzkerOlsen, P.A., has many years of experience representing victims and survivors of foodborne illness who have been hospitalized and disabled by adulterated food. Food poisoning attorneys at the firm can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).Free case consultations are available online.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on April 17, 2009 (boomark / email).