Foodborne Illnesses / Salmonella /

Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice Frozen Meals Cause Salmonella Illnesses nationwide

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has linked an outbreak of Salmonella Chester to frozen meals produced by ConAgra. The Iowa-based ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods is recalling Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals distributed nationally. The recall was issued after ConAgra was notified by the CDC that the frozen meals were linked to 37 Salmonella serotype Chester illnesses in 18 states. This number of ill in each state is reported as: AK (1), CA (5), CO (2), GA (7), IL (1), KY (1), MA (2), MN (2), MO (1), NC (1), OK (1), OR (2), SC (2), TN (1), TX (1), UT (2), VA (4), and WA (1)

Marler Clark has filed two lawsuits against ConAgra on behalf of victims of the Salmonella outbreak. BothSalmonella lawsuits were filed in Oregon, where the victims live. Both men fell ill after consuming the now-recalled product, and tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella when they sought medical attention for their illnesses.

The CDC estimates that for every confirmed case of Salmonella infection, another 38.6 cases go unreported. Many people sickened in an outbreak are never aware that they have Salmonella and try to 'tough it out' at home; their cases are never counted. In order for a case to be confirmed, a sick person has to visit their health care practitioner and get a stool test. If the test is positive for Salmonella, then it is then sent on to the health department, which matches the test to the outbreak strain to see if it is part of the outbreak, or a separate case of Salmonella.

Anyone who has consumed the product and is experiencing symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical care and ask for a stool test.

The attorneys at Marler Clark, LLP have litigated against ConAgra in several different outbreaks in the last decade:

Pot Pies and Salmonella 2008

Marler Clark filed six Salmonella lawsuits against against ConAgra, the company whose Banquet and store-brand frozen chicken and turkey pot pies were identified as the source of a nationwide Salmonella outbreak. This outbreak was very similar to the current Marie Callender's outbreak, and hundreds of people were sickened nationwide.

Ground Beef and E. coli O157:H7 2002

In 2002, ConAgra ground beef caused a large E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Marler Clark’s E. coli lawyers represented 33 victims. The law firm’s clients included six children who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and the family of an Ohio woman who died as a result of her E. coli infection.

Peanut Butter Salmonella 2007

In November 2006, public health officials at CDC and state health departments detected a substantial increase in the reported incidence of isolates of Salmonella serotype Tennessee. In a multistate case-control study conducted during February 5—13, 2007, illness was strongly associated with consumption of either of two brands (Peter Pan or Great Value).

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