Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D
Tony Coveny, Ph.D
Tony Coveny, has been practicing infectious disease litigation exclusively for more than a decade, settling cases against major agro-industrial companies, international suppliers, and domestic distributors and manufacturers. Tony Coveny, alongside Ron Simon, has tried cases against restaurants, distributors, national manufacturers, and foreign corporations to recover damages against their clients. From the main office in Houston, which he manages, he speaks to potential and current clients on a daily basis.
Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of certain Diamond of California Macadamia Nuts packages on Tuesday. The company initiated the recall due to potential Salmonella contamination. Snyder’s-Lance distributed the recalled product to retail stores nationwide. Tests Reveal Salmonella in Packages of Macadamia Nuts The recall results from positive Salmonella test results on a 4 oz. package of Diamond of California Chopped Macadamia Nuts. A FDA-contracted laboratory conducted the tests that revealed the presence of the dangerous organism. According to the company, “Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others…
Officials linked a Wasatch County, Utah raw milk distributor – Heber Valley – to nine cases of Salmonella Saintpaul this week. Heber Valley Milk Linked to Raw Milk Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak The nine patients all consumed raw milk at Heber Valley Milk between March 20th and August 14th, 2016, according to health officials. On August 23rd, a sample of Heber Valley Milk taken by a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food inspector tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella, Salmonella Saintpaul. Because a subsequent test showed negative results for the pathogen, Heber Valley Milk resumed sales with the approval…
Conroe, Texas company Country Fresh, LLC. is recalling 30,000 cases of fresh-cut vegetable products due to potential Listeria contamination. The products were shipped to stores such as Walmart and Winn Dixie, and the majority of recalled products were shipped under store brand names. The potential for contamination was uncovered as the result of a single routine sample taken at a retail store by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which revealed the finished product tested positive for the bacteria. The company shipped cases of the recalled products to retailers located in Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.…
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced a connection between strawberry smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurants and a cluster of Hepatitis A cases late last week. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Strawberry Drinks Linked to Hepatitis A The VDH linked the illnesses to smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurant drinks containing strawberries. The strawberries were sourced from Egypt. “Genetic testing shows the illnesses were caused by a strain of Hepatitis A that has been associated with past outbreaks due to frozen strawberries from Egypt,” VDH said in a public release warning citizens of increased Hepatitis A risk. The business immediately conducted…
The Hawaii Department of Health embargoed all frozen scallops distributed by True World Foods and Koha Oriental Foods on Tuesday. The embargo comes due to a link between scallops and an ongoing widespread outbreak of Hepatitis A. Distributors also say the scallops only went to Genki Sushi, a chain restaurant that closed 11 locations Monday evening. Frozen Scallops from the Philippines Source of 168 Person Outbreak As a result of the Department of Health investigation, officials discovered the scallops responsible for the outbreak came from the Philippines. In addition, they found that Koha Oriental Foods distributed the affected seafood on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and…
The Hawaii State Department of Health identified frozen scallops as the likely source of the ongoing Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii that has sickened 168 people. The scallops were served raw at eleven different Genki Sushi locations on Oahu and Kauai, according to local news reports. Foreign Frozen Scallops Served at Genki Sushi Sicken Hundreds Genki Sushi imported the scallops from a foreign company named True World Foods. No other restaurants or companies imported scallops from the same outfit, helping health officials in their quest to identify the source of the outbreak. It’s not surprising that the outbreak was linked to shellfish says…
Hawaiian health officials closed all Oahu and Kauai Genki Sushi restaurants on Monday evening. The action comes after health officials identified frozen scallops served raw at the restaurants as the likely source of an ongoing Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened at least 168. The number sickened in the outbreak will likely to rise in coming weeks, as symptoms of Hepatitis A can take a month or more to appear after exposure to the virus. Diners Allowed to Continue Eating after Restaurants Responsible for Outbreak Closed According to CBS, the restaurants closed early Monday evening “to prevent any further illness and protect the public.”…
Rabbit Creek Products, a Louisburg, Kansas company, has announced the recall of certain bread mixes, muffin mixes and brownie mixes sold both under the “Rabbit Creek” brand name as well as other, private-label brand names. The recall comes as a result of potential contamination of the products with E. coli O121, also referred to as STEC O121 due to the fact that it belongs to a class of E. coli known as “Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.” The recall comes as a result of the General Mills massive flour recall, which has affected Gold Medal, Wondra and Signature Kitchen flours, and…
Earlier this week, Grassfields Cheese LLC recalled 10 tons of organic cheese due to potential E. coli contamination. In response to the Grassfields Cheese recall, Whole Foods initiated a recall of organic cheese products sold in many stores. Whole Foods Recalls Select Organic Cheeses due to E. coli Contamination According to the company, Whole Foods used Grassfields Cheese as one of its organic cheese suppliers. Whole Foods shipped the Grassfields products principally to stores in the south and midwest. While the products shipped mainly to those regions, all patrons of the store should check their cheese against recall details. The recall includes the…
The number of people infected in the Hawaii Hepatitis A outbreak has risen to 135, state Department of Health official say. Of the 135 infected, 39 have required hospitalization due to the severity of their illnesses. Although the majority of those affected are from the island of Oahu, at number of those sickened live on other islands. At least one person contracted the virus while on vacation from the mainland. The Hepatitis A outbreak is now the largest in the Hawaii’s history. Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant Served Food, Drinks to Passengers for 26 Days While Infected Hawaiian Airlines and the state Department…