Louisiana Accident Attorney Blog

Contact:
Fresca Italia, Inc.
415-468-9800

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 30, 2008 -- Fresca Italia of Brisbane, CA is recalling Burrata because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal, or diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

This product was distributed in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California in retail stores and restaurants.

This product weighs approximately 8.8oz and is packaged in a white and green plastic wrapper with the manufacturer’s name, “Caseificio Voglie di Latte” and the product name “Burrata” The only batch subject to the recall will be labeled with the expiration date of 24/5/2008.

The recall is the result of survey sampling by the California Dept. of Food & Agriculture which revealed that the product in question contained the bacteria. Fresca Italia has immediately halted further distribution.

If you have any Caseificio Voglie di Latte Burrata with an expiration of 24/5/2008 please return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 415-468-9800.

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Posted In: FDA Recalls

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Contact:
Consumer Hotline
(800) 638-6493

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 30, 2008 -- Abbott today announced a voluntary worldwide recall of two lots of Calcilo XD® Low-Calcium/Vitamin D-Free Infant Formula with Iron powder in 14.1-ounce cans (400g). Only 14.1-ounce (400g) cans are involved in this action. Calcilo XD® is a low-calcium and vitamin D-free infant formula that is specifically designed for the nutrition support of infants and children with hypercalcemia (high calcium in blood). It is only available by special order.

Abbott is voluntarily recalling two lots of product because small amounts of air may have entered the can, resulting in product oxidation. A common sign of oxidation is an off aroma. The problem is isolated to these two lots of Calcilo XD Powder in 14.1-ounce (400g) cans.

Consumption of highly oxidized foods can cause gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If parents have questions or concerns they should contact a health care professional.

The recall is limited to Calcilo XD in 14.1-ounce (400g) cans, with stock code number 00378 and with lot numbers 39973RB or 47239RB6 printed on the bottom of the cans. No other Calcilo XD powdered infant formulas are affected.

The two lots were distributed in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Korea and Bahrain, between 06/06/06 and 04/17/08. Consumers who purchased Calcilo XD® Low-Calcium/Vitamin D-Free Infant Formula with Iron powder from either of the two lots mentioned above should contact Abbott Nutrition at 1-800-638-6493.

Abbott is working with its distribution partners and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to execute this recall.

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Posted In: FDA Recalls

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Federal Railroad Agency Launches Separate Investigation into Train Derailment

On Monday, the Ambassador Caffery Parkway overpass reopened as crews continued to clean up spilled chemicals at the site of Saturday's train derailment. Around 6 p.m. the overpass was reopened after a long weekend of rerouted traffic at the artery, which provides access to Interstate 10 and south Lafayette.

3,000 people were exposed to a hydrochloric acid spill. The Federal Railroad Administration will be conducting it's own investigation of the train derailment that happened on Saturday, May 17.

Steven Klum, spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said that there has been a team there since Saturday.

It is typical for the agency to conduct an investigation of train incidents that involve serious fire, explosions, unintended release of hazardous materials and evacuations.

Six Burlington North Santa Fe Railway cars derailed early 2 a.m. on Saturday near the Ambassador Caffery overpass. The collision caused hydrochloric acid in the cars to seep out and contaminate at least a 1-acre radius of the collision site.

There were 3,000 residents that were evacuated within a 1-mile radius and not allowed to return until late Sunday.

The company has had at least two other derailments in the state this year, including one derailment in Lafayette in March near Walker Road within the vicinity of Saturday's accident.

Current statistics were not released on derailments or hazardous material spills or information on maintenance checks to the tracks, citing that the information was part of the current investigation.

According to Joe Faust, company spokesman, "BNSF Railway operates pursuant to all applicable federal safety regulations related to the safe operation of our railroad. The safety of our employees and the safety of the citizens in the communities where we operate is priority."

The company reported that there were no hazardous materials spills nationwide this year as of February 29, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Similar to a black box aboard an aircraft, investigators have the benefit of a locomotive event record to offer a timeline of events leading up to the crash.

Kulm said that they will gather the information and take it from there. They will also interview the train crews involved.

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Posted In: Train Accidents

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The USDA-FSIS has issued a public health alert for at least 1100 pounds of "fully cooked" pork cracklings due to a possible contamination with salmonella. They were produced in Miami, Florida by Sofia Chicharones, Inc.

The public health alert is affecting the pork cracklings as follows:

1-pound and 5-pound bags of "FULLY COOKED PORK CRACKLINGS WITH
ATTACHED SKIN." Each package bears a label with the establishment number
"EST. 21055" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a "PACKED DATE" of 05128-1."

The cracking products, which are fully cooked, were sold under the establishment's retail store in Miami, Florida on May 12, 2008. It has been confirmed by the FSIS that these products are no longer for sale at this establishment; however, consumers are urged to look for and destroy these products if they have them.

After the product tested positive for salmonella during a routine microbiological sampling by the FSIS, the public health alert was initiated.

So far, the FSIS has not received any reports of illnesses associated with consumption of products subject to this alert. However, anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should contact a medical professional immediately.

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Posted In: Foodborne Illness

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Six cars of a freight train derailed Saturday, May 17 in Lafayette beneath the Ambassador Caffery Parkway overpass leaking hydrochloric acid. The chemical leak resulted in thousands of people being evacuated and closure of a span of Interstate 10 . Neblett, Beard & Arsenault has experience in handling train derailment toxic exposure cases, having been involved in the Eunice and New Iberia train derailment cases.

If you, friends, or loved ones been affected or exposed to the toxic fumes from the train derailment in Lafayette, contact the experienced attorneys of Neblett, Beard & Arsenault at 1-800-256-1050 to see what your legal options are. Or fill out our contact sheet and an attorney will contact you.

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Posted In: Train Accidents

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A salmonella outbreak in humans has been linked to a contaminated dry dog food for the first time ever.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has affected 19 states, mostly in Pennsylvania, where the dog food was produced.

Always wash your hands after feeding your pets, whether it is dry or wet food to safeguard against possible salmonella contamination.

Always maintain a clean environment while preparing your pet's meal.

Also, always keep your pet's food stored in a safe place, like a Tupperware container with a lid away from children.

Children always have a tendency to eat what their pets are eating. Keep them away from that. It is very important to ensure that your dog's food is safe for your dog.

Always look at what your dog is eating and stay informed.

Always avoid pet foods that have these words in the ingredient box, and that is animal byproducts. Animal byproducts is a meal made from the innards of the animal's intestines.

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Posted In: Foodborne Illness

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The U. S. Food and Drug Administration announced Medtronic Inc. is recalling selected products featuring its Carmeda BioActive surface.

The affected devices, according to the FDA, are disposable products used during cardiopulmonary bypass heart surgeries. Tubing packs, blood oxygenators, reservoirs, cannulae, and pumps are among the affected products. This action follows the FDA's April recommendation to device manufacturers that heparin supplies be checked with newly developed tests.

Limited lots of Carmeda-coated products manufactured with heparin have been found to have been contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. The patient risk associated with OSCS in heparin-coated medical devices isn't known but the Food and Drug Administration said it's received reports of serious injury and death in patients administered injectable heparin products containing high levels of OSCS.

Medtronic is advising its customers that selected lots of Trillium-coated products were also manufactured with heparin containing OSCS. Medtronic said that trillium is another biosurface used in products during cardiopulmonary bypass heart surgery ,although the amount of heparin on trillium is significantly lower than that contained on the Carmeda product.

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Posted In: Medical Litigation

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Contact:
John Harrison
Sweetwater Valley Farm, Inc.
877-862-4332

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 15, 2008 -- Sweetwater Valley Farm, Inc. of Philadelphia, TN is recalling Tennessee Aged Black Pepper Cheese because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Tennessee Aged Black Pepper Cheese, Lot Number 616-361 was distributed in 5, 7, and 10 ounce bars through our retail store in Philadelphia, TN and a Winery in Portland, TN.

Less than 100 pounds was distributed.

This product was distributed between December 27, 2007 and May 12, 2008.

No illnesses have been reported.

The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture which revealed that the finished product contained the bacteria. The company has ceased the distribution of this lot as the company continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.

Consumers who have purchased lot number 616-361 of this product are urged bring it to the store for replacement or refund or ship it back to the store for replacement or refund. Contact the
company’s consumer affairs department at 1-877-862-4332 for further information.

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Posted In: FDA Recalls

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Contact:
Daniel Beach
Public Relations
763-505-2603

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- MINNEAPOLIS – May 7, 2008 – Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it is initiating a voluntary and precautionary recall of selected products featuring the Carmeda BioActive surface. The affected devices are disposable products used during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for heart surgeries. Affected products include blood oxygenators, reservoirs, pumps, cannulae, and tubing packs. This action is being taken subsequent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's April 8, 2008 recommendation to device manufacturers that heparin supplies be checked with newly-developed tests, and that affected products be evaluated for possible field corrective action.

Limited lots of Carmeda-coated products were manufactured with heparin found to have been contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS). The patient risk associated with the presence of OSCS in heparin-coated medical devices is not known at this time. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports of serious injury and death in patients who have been administered injectable heparin products containing high levels of OSCS.

Medtronic has not received reports of any OSCS-related adverse events arising from the use of Carmeda CPB products. It is unclear, however, if exposure to Carmeda-coated medical devices, made with comparatively small amounts of heparin, could cause adverse events similar to those observed with injectable heparin formulations. As a result, Medtronic has initiated a precautionary recall of affected Carmeda products.

In a separate action, Medtronic is advising customers that selected lots of Trillium-coated products were also manufactured with heparin containing OSCS. Trillium is another biosurface used on CPB products. The amount of heparin on the product is significantly lower than that contained on the Carmeda product. Medtronic's ultimate goal is to remove contaminated products from the market. However, based on the current data, the benefit of using the affected products outweighs any potential risk to patients. Since the maximum possible patient exposure to heparin from Trillium is extremely low, customers can continue to use the affected Trillium products until a replacement is available.

The above actions are being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Patients with questions should talk to their physician. Physicians or Pefusionists with medical questions related to Medtronic therapies should contact Medtronic at 1-800-638-0218, Monday -
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT.

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The Ford Motor Co. is recalling over 650,000 of it's top selling F-150 pickups as well as a Lincoln-branded truck because of a problem with the brake hose that could cause the vehicles to lose braking power.

So far, the automaker has recalled Ford F150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks years 2005 and 2006. This information was posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website on Wednesday.

The Ford trucks affected by the recall are equipped with 5.4-liter engines. The brake hose on those trucks can possibly detach from the manifold, causing the driver to lose the "assist" function, which provides additional power to the brakes, according to the safety notice.

According to the Ford spokesman, Wes Sherwood, the trucks could still be stopped with the remaining brake power, but it would require drivers to apply "more force to the pedal."

To date, Ford has received reports of 11 minor accidents, but no injuries because of the recalled part.

The huge recall covers almost 606,000 vehicles in the United States and comes just as Ford is gearing up to launch all-new versions of its F-series pickup truck line.

U. S. sales of the Ford trucks are down 16 percent this year in a downturn tied to high gasoline prices and a slumping U. S. housing market.

According to Ford, there is a similar recall procedure in Canada as well. 50,000 are on the road in Canada that are covered by the U. S. government recall.

Customers in the United States and Canada affected by the recall could have the brake hoses replaced at Ford dealerships starting in late June.

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Posted In: Product Liability

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The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Commissioner of Agriculture, Tommy Irving has announced that food scientists have found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Bright Water Smoked Salmon & Cheese Spread.

The spread, manufactured by Bright Water Seafoods, LLC, of Charlotte, N. C., 28217, found contamination in a seven-ounce package marked BEST BY 060608. The UPC code is 1971100073.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease. The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of high fever, neck stiffness, nausea, and severe headache.

Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections to infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems (i.e. persons taking chemotherapy for cancer and those with chronic diseases).

Commissioner Irvin stated, "We have notified the U. S. Food and Drug Administration of today's lab findings, and we are warning the public about the contamination."

"We discovered this contamination as part of our sampling program. Sampling on a regular basis with a scientific protocol is a very important part of our food safety program."

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Posted In: Foodborne Illness

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The FDA gave a regulatory warning to a vaccine manufacturer, involving multiple quality-control observations made after a review of the manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.

The company, Merck, makers of the blockbuster selling human papilloma virus vaccine Gardasil. Also makers of a hepatitis A, two hepatitis B vaccines and the makers of Vioxx. According to news reports, the regulatory warning should not hamper the vaccine makers ability to sell the currently marketed product.

According to a number of news reports, the FDA's warning letter sent to Merck & Co. mentioned "significant deviations from current good manufacturing practice. . . in the manufacture of licensed biological vaccine products, bulk drug substances, and drug components" at the plant based in Pennsylvania.

The letter was dated the 28th of April and is based on the FDA inspection covering November 2007 through January 2008. According to news reports, the FDA noted that certain lots of pediatric vaccines were recalled as a precautionary measure in December 2007, with production suspended, with distribution not expected to resume until the fourth quarter of 2008. One of the vaccines recalled were those chemically manufactured to prevent disease caused by Haemophilus influenza type B in infants.

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Posted In: Pharmaceutical Litigation

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65,000 F-Series Super Duty pickups are being recalled by the Ford Motor company.

The recall is being made so that the fuel-tank mounting can be strengthened in order to prevent a gasoline leak in a head on collision.

According to Ford, a front-end crash of 30 mph or more could cause the fuel tank to move forward, spilling fuel and possibly causing it to ignite.

The recall is affecting some 2008 F-250's and F-350 trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

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Posted In: Product Liability

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