Celery Recall by San Antonio Firm Associated with Listeriosis Wrongful Death and Personal Injury
Five people died and five others became seriously ill in a Texas listeriosis outbreak that has been linked to prepackaged celery processed by Sangar Fresh Cut Produce, a San Antonio company. Victims and their families may have claims against Sangar and others. Our attorneys are availble for a free consultation.
On October 20, 2010, the Texas Department of State Health Services ordered Sangar Fresh Cut Produce in San Antonio, TX to recall its celery and all products shipped from the plant since January, 2010. The Sangar celery recall was forced after laboratory tests of chopped celery from the plant indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria that causes listeriosis.
The testing of the Sangar celery was done as part of a DSHS investigation into 10 listeriosis cases, including five deaths, reported to the department over an eight-month period. Six of the 10 cases have been linked to chopped celery from the Sangar plant. The illnesses occurred in Bexar, Travis and Hidalgo counties. Those sickened were primarily hospital patients and were already ill. Even though they had a preexisting condition, the victims and their families have personal injury and wrongful death claims against Sangar and others. Contact our attorneys regarding this.
DSHS inspectors also found unsanitary conditions at the plant that could have spread the Listeria in the celery to other products, which prompted the health department to force the recall of all of Sangar’s products since January. The unsanitary conditions Texas health officials found include the following:
- a condensation leak above a food product area
- soil on a preparation table
- hand washing issues
The 10 people who contracted serious cases of listeriosis in this outbreak most likely have had one or both of the following complications:
- septicemia (infection of the blood)
- meningitis (infection of the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and the related fluids)
The overall mortality rate for listeriosis meningitis may be as high at 70%; for septicemia, 50%. This has been our experience. Our attorneys have also represented listeriosis victims who survived these complications. In one case, there was severe brain damage.
Tags: Listeria, Listeria Lawyer, Listeriosis
