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In 2024, two significant Listeria outbreaks have underscored the ongoing challenges in ensuring food safety. On July 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a major recall by Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., based in Jarratt, Va. This recall involves all liverwurst products currently in commerce and other deli meats produced on the same line and day due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Approximately 207,528 pounds of products are affected.
Earlier, in April 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a deadly Listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco and cotija cheese made by Rizo-López Foods, resulting in 23 hospitalizations and two deaths. These incidents highlight the persistent threat of Listeria infections, which have caused at least one outbreak annually since 2011, emphasizing the critical need for rigorous food safety measures and vigilant monitoring to protect public health.
Listeria Food poisoning or the bacterial infection, listeriosis, occurs when food is contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes(L. monocytogenes). According to the CDC, “It is estimated that 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die.” Overall, it has a mortality rate of 20-30. People at risk of this disease are typically pregnant women and newborns, as according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women comprise twenty-seven percent of those infected each year and usually experience a severe form of listeriosis.
Listeria comes from bacteria in the soil and water, which in turn contaminates foods. It grows at refrigeration temperatures, making it particularly insidious. It is able to survive in a wide range of conditions that lead to food contamination.
The infection can range from mild symptoms like fever and diarrhea to severe symptoms like septicemia and meningitis. The infection primarily affects those with weakened immune systems, such as pregnant women, newborns, and older adults. Listeria is commonly infected by eating foods containing the bacteria. Still, it can also be passed from a mother to unborn babies during pregnancy, resulting in miscarries, stillbirths, or other life-threatening problems with newborns.
Listeria monocytogenes can be found in various sources, such as soil, water, and animal feces, which can contaminate certain types of food. Foods that can have listeria include raw meat (such as hot dogs and deli meat), soft cheeses with unpasteurized milk (queso fresco, queso blanco, Camembert, brie, feta, or other blue-veined cheeses), unpasteurized milk products, dairy products, raw sprouts (produce and salad) raw seafood, and ready-to-eat-foods that have not been stored at appropriate temperatures.
Any type of raw food, even properly refrigerated food kept at safe temperatures, can become infected with the bacteria, as these high-risk foods can also affect other food within a fridge. As such, it is recommended to exercise caution when meats or cheeses are kept at room temperature, such as for meat spreads like charcuterie boards or Pâté. However, Animal feed and pet food can also be contaminated, spreading and infecting animals.
Symptoms of listeriosis usually present within a day or a week of the contaminated food being ingested; unlike other foodborne illnesses, listeria symptoms can show themselves much later. Common symptoms include nausea, stiff neck, muscle aches, pain, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, joint pain, loss of balance, confusion, diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, and swelling of the brain or spinal cord in its most severe form. If the disease is passed to a newborn baby, the life-threatening infection can cause blood infections, repository distress, or meningitis. If you experience any of these symptoms, especially if you belong to a high-risk group, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately, as it can cause a more invasive illness.
The initial diagnosis of listeriosis can be made in consultation with your healthcare provider based on clinical symptoms and detection of the bacteria in a smear from a blood test, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or meconium of newborns (or the fetus in abortion cases).
Healthy adults with a healthy immune system can see listeria clear up on their own, and the symptoms shouldn’t last for more than a few days. However, this may not be the case if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, particularly if the infection becomes severe. If you have invasive listeriosis, you’ll likely need to stay in the hospital and be treated with intravenous (IV) medications or antibiotics. Be sure to contact a health care provider if you believe you have this serious infection, as due to its mortality rate, it is important to monitor your symptoms, particularly if you are a pregnant person.
When you eat food, you expect it to be safe. As such, the FSIS maintains a zero-tolerance policy for L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products to dampen the spread of foodborne illness. Companies involved in producing, processing, and distributing food products have a legal obligation to ensure their products are safe for consumption. When a Listeria outbreak occurs, companies can be liable for any resulting illnesses if they are negligent in adhering to food safety standards and regulations through product liability law.
Victims of listeriosis caused by contaminated food have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related damages. It can be difficult to prove which specific food caused the infection, but if you were served food after it had been recalled, you may have a case. Retaining legal counsel can ensure that food companies are held accountable and serve to promote safe food production.
Regan Zambri Long’s experienced food poisoning attorneys have handled contaminated food cases in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, and we are ready to take on your claim. Product liability claims can be challenging, and food poisoning can be hard to prove. Still, our lawyers will investigate your case to prove negligence on behalf of the restaurant, cafeteria, or business that sold you contaminated food.
Our law firm has represented clients who suffered various illnesses related to food contamination, including listeriosis and salmonella. We will do our utmost to track your illness back to the source and bring a suit against the liable party.
Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t collect any legal fees until we’ve made a recovery or settlement in your favor. If you or your loved one have suffered a serious illness from food poisoning, schedule your free consultation with a Regan Zambri Long attorney today and begin the process of claiming the compensation you are due.
