April 25, 2016 — The FDA has completed its investigation into a five-month outbreak of Salmonella that sickened at least 33 people in 23 states who ate RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products made by Garden of Life, LLC.
The outbreak strain was identified as Salmonella Virchow, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The agency said six people were hospitalized and the first illnesses were reported on December 5, 2015.
Case Count by State: Alabama (1), California (2), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (2), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (1), North Carolina (2), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), Rhode Island (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (2), Utah (3), Wisconsin (1), and West Virginia (1).
In January 2016, a voluntary recall was issued for products in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, vanilla chai, and original. However, it is possible that contaminated products remain in customers’ homes because they have a long shelf-life.
The FDA warns that consumers who continue to eat the products could experience food poisoning. Every year, about 1.2 million people in the United States are infected with Salmonella and 450 die from the illness.
Infection with Salmonella typically causes 4-7 days of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. However, the illness can be much more severe, especially for young children, older adults, and people with underlying medical conditions. According to the FDA:
“Infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. If you have symptoms or concerns, please talk to your doctor.”
Do I have a Food Poisoning Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting RAW Meal induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with Salmonella Virchow, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
