National food safety law firm Pritzker Hageman, P.A. has filed a Cyclospora lawsuit in conjunction with local counsel Tim Whiting, against Fresh Express in Illinois in connection to the outbreak linked to the produce manufacturer's bagged salad products. The lawsuit (case number 20L528) was filed on behalf of a female client who was sickened after eating salad purchased from an ALDI store. Our client, who is a type 1 diabetic, was hospitalized as a result of her Cyclospora infection.
"We rely on food manufacturers, producers, and sellers to keep our food safe from dangerous pathogens like Cyclospora. Outbreaks like this happen when food companies fail to follow the proper food safety procedures needed to protect consumers from developing serious foodborne illnesses," says food safety attorney David Coyle.
Cyclospora salad outbreak linked to Fresh Express – a company with a history of food safety violations
On Friday, June 19th, the CDC and FDA announced a Cyclospora outbreak linked to salads (containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots) produced by Fresh Express. The outbreak has sickened more than 500 people. When it comes to food poisoning outbreaks, Fresh Express has a history of producing contaminated products. In the summer of 2018, the company was implicated in a Cyclospora outbreak linked to McDonald's salads that sickened more than 500 people. And just last December, Fresh Express salad was linked to an E.coli outbreak that sickened 10 people.
What is Cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a parasite that causes an infection called cyclosporiasis. People can become seriously ill after eating food that has been contaminated with Cyclospora, which often happens when produce is washed or irrigated in water that has been contaminated with human feces. Since Cyclospora is colorless and odorless, people have no way to detect contamination before consumption. This is one of the many reasons why it is important for food companies to ensure that the food they sell to consumers is free from contamination by Cyclospora and other foodborne pathogens.
For more information:
Pritzker Hageman, P.A.
Tel: 1-888-377-8900