Author: McKenna Madison Coveny

By a Legal Correspondent | Featuring commentary from Ron Simon, National Food Safety Lawyer You ordered the mahi-mahi. The plate arrives looking perfectly fine — fresh, well-cooked, garnished with care. Twenty minutes later, your face is flushed, your throat is burning, your heart is racing, and you feel as though you are having a severe allergic reaction. You are not allergic to fish. What you are experiencing is scombroid poisoning — and in the United States, it happens far more often than most people realize. What Is Scombroid Poisoning? Scombroid food poisoning, also known as histamine fish poisoning or scombrotoxism,…

By the time most people hear about a major foodborne illness outbreak on the news, Ron Simon has probably already filed a lawsuit. It is a Tuesday morning in Houston, Texas, and Ron Simon is already on the phone. Somewhere in the country — it could be California, Illinois, or Ohio — someone has just been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after eating at a restaurant chain, and the epidemiological trail is still warm. Simon, who has spent more than three decades fighting food companies in courtrooms across the United States, has a gift for arriving first. His firm, Ron…

A public health reminderr on why soft cheeses carry elevated risk, what listeria does to the human body, and the outbreaks that keep reminding us this threat is real. A Bacterium That Thrives Where Others Cannot Most foodborne pathogens are, at least in principle, manageable. Refrigerate your food, cook it to the right temperature, and the risk drops dramatically. Listeria monocytogenes does not play by those rules. Unlike most disease-causing bacteria, listeria is a psychrotrophic organism — it can survive and multiply at refrigeration temperatures, including the 35–40°F range of a standard home refrigerator. This single characteristic is what makes…

Federal health officials have reopened a multistate Salmonella outbreak investigation after dozens of additional illnesses were reported months after the outbreak was believed to be under control. The outbreak, linked to dietary supplements containing moringa leaf powder, has become one of the most unusual foodborne illness investigations of 2026 and highlights the challenges regulators face when contaminated products remain in consumers’ homes long after recalls are issued. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) originally investigated the outbreak earlier this year after identifying illnesses associated with dietary supplements containing moringa leaf powder. Although…

Foodborne illness remains a major public health concern worldwide. In the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 48 million people become sick from foodborne diseases each year, resulting in about 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Identifying the source of outbreaks quickly is critical for preventing additional illnesses and protecting consumers. One of the most significant scientific developments in modern food safety is the use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), a technology that allows scientists to analyze the complete genetic makeup of bacteria and other pathogens. Over the past decade, WGS has transformed…

Foodborne illnesses affect millions of people each year and remain a significant public health challenge. While many cases result in mild symptoms and resolve without medical intervention, some outbreaks cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health agencies play a critical role in detecting outbreaks, identifying contaminated foods, removing dangerous products from the market, and informing the public about potential risks. Understanding how these agencies respond provides valuable insight into the systems that protect food safety in the United States. The outbreak response process often begins with healthcare providers and in clinical laboratories. When patients seek medical care for symptoms…

Hepatitis A is one of the oldest and most important foodborne and waterborne viral diseases known to public health. Unlike many food poisoning pathogens, Hepatitis A is not a bacterium that multiplies in food, produces toxins, or causes illness within hours. It is a human virus that uses food, water, hands, surfaces, and close contact as vehicles to move from one infected person to another. Its target is the liver, but its route of travel is usually the mouth. That combination makes Hepatitis A both biologically distinctive and epidemiologically difficult to control. A microscopic amount of fecal contamination can be…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 26, 2026 LAWSUIT FILED OVER E. COLI O157:H7 OUTBREAK LINKED TO THE KEBAB SHOP BEEF KOFTA IN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA Complaint alleges child suffered acute kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome after eating food tied to the spring 2026 outbreak. SAN DIEGO, California — A Kebab Shop lawsuit has been filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, on behalf of Jeffrey Gogue, individually and on behalf of his minor child, K.G., against TKS Restaurants dba The Kebab Shop and Olympia Foods Industries, Inc. dba Olympia Foods. The complaint alleges that K.G. suffered a…

E. Coli 0157:H7 – 9 Hospitlaized E. coli outbreak at The Kebab Shop: What we know A multistate E. coli outbreak linked to The Kebab Shop restaurant chain sickened dozens of people across Southern California, triggering investigations by the CDC, FDA, state and local health authorities, and prompting multiple location closures. HEALTH ALERT Anyone who ate at The Kebab Shop locations in California and developed symptoms of E. coli infection — particularly bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, or signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) — was urged to seek medical care immediately. At a glance: Background: The Kebab Shop The…

A Survey of Humanity’s Most Devastating Microbial Adversaries Throughout recorded history, infectious disease has shaped the fate of civilizations, toppled empires, and claimed more human lives than all wars combined. From the plague-ridden streets of medieval Europe to the crowded tenements of industrializing cities, microscopic organisms have proven relentlessly effective at exploiting human biology. Today, advances in epidemiology and microbiology allow us to measure these tolls with unprecedented precision—and the numbers are staggering. Note: According to the most experienced E. coli lawyer in the nation, Ron Simon, “we are still battling viral and bacterial outbreaks every day, including e. coli,…