NEW YORK, NY – As a Salmonella outbreak linked to kosher chicken liver products grows to nearly 200 illnesses, Salmonella lawyers at Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness, are calling on the company responsible for the outbreak to pay for victims’ medical bills.
According to reports published by the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), MealMart brand kosher broiled chicken liver products produced by New York-based Schreiber Processing Co. have sickened 169 people New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, with Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses, including at least 23 hospitalizations. Many of the MealMart chicken liver products were repackaged and sold in smaller quantities or used to prepare chopped liver sold at deli-style establishments.
“Consumers put an incredible degree of trust in the food industry and they expect food to be safe,” said Salmonella attorney and food safety expert William Marler. “In this instance, that trust has been broken and Schreiber Processing should be proactive by paying the medical expenses victims have incurred as a result of their illnesses.”
Multiple press reports have blamed the labeling of the chicken liver products for the extent of the Salmonella outbreak. Though the MealMart chicken liver product labels have small print calling for further cooking, the dominant wording states that chicken livers are “Broiled”, which led consumers, grocers, and restaurant cooks to believe the chicken liver products were ready-to-eat.
“In the food industry, if there is one place you want to be clear and direct with your customers, it’s on the labeling of raw meat products,” added Marler. “In the short term, Schreiber Processing should do all it can to ensure the victims who became ill with Salmonella infections are taken care of, and in the long term it ought to reconsider its labeling practices.”
MARLER CLARK is the nation’s leading law firm dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illnesses. The firm’s Salmonella lawyers have unmatched experience, and since 1993 have recovered over $600 million dollars for clients. Marler Clark has represented victims of Salmonella poisoning in litigation resulting from such outbreaks as the 2009 peanut butter outbreak, 2010 egg outbreak, and the 2011 ground turkey outbreak. For more information or to speak with an attorney, contact Cody Moore at cmoore@marlerclark.com or 206-407-2200.