Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) Pacific Northwest Conference (2011)

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm's Patti Waller was a keynote speaker at the 2011 AOAC Pacific Northwest conference in Tacoma. Her presentation, "Foodborne Illness Litigation: A Case Study from Start to Finish" described how health department data gathered by local, state and federal investigators was used to build a foodborne illness claim on behalf of two children made seriously ill by E. coli O157:H7. This example highlights how careful and thorough investigations are critical even when they initially seem routine or inconsequential. It also shows that when investigating agencies do not communicate with each other, opportunities to identify an outbreak can be delayed or lost.