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.
With summer is fast approaching, its time to review a few food safety tips for the warm weather to prevent foodborne illnesses Warm weather is fast approaching, but this also means it is peak season for food poisoning cases. While many in the United States are still recovering in the wake of Winter Storm Uri, already temperatures in midwestern and southern American states have reached highs of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne illnesses often increase noticeably during the warm summer months. The spike is due to bacteria thriving off higher…
Food Safety in the Wake of Winter Storm Uri Beginning around February 13, 2021, an arctic blast from the North Pole blew coast-to-coast across the United States, particularly affecting the Midwestern and Southern states－some of which are rarely affected by winter storms of this scale－such as Texas. Uri brought record-breaking low temperatures, amounts of snow and ice, and power and water outages for southern states, like Texas. Among the most pressing issues people faced during the power outages were the frigid temperatures, even inside their homes, and the lack of clean drinking water. Now that the arctic blast has subsided,…
Close to 500 fall ill due to Salmonellosis infections; FSA issues urgent second warning for raw, frozen, breaded chicken products On the 19th of February 2021, Food Standards Agency issued a second warning for raw, breaded, frozen chicken due to about 500 Salmonellosis Enteritidis cases in the United Kingdom. The first warning released by Food Standards Agency was in October of 2020, given the long shelf life of these products and tendency to host Salmonella bacteria. While the FSA received reports of 400 Salmonellosis cases in October of 2020, the number of infected individuals has reached a staggering 480, nearing…
Baking Safety Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses While baking has remained on the top 5 list of American’s favorite hobbies, it is responsible for hundreds of cases of foodborne illnesses. However, this pastime can be enjoyed safely while following a few simple, cautionary tips. As one National Food Poisoning Lawyer has stated, “American individuals, as well as others across the world, can remain safe by following these few, simple tips”. Sanitation in the kitchen All surfaces and utensils should be thoroughly disinfected with hot, soapy water or antibacterial cleaners to avoid contamination. Be sure to wash hands for at least…
El Abuelito Cheese Inc. Expands Recall Due to Listeria Contamination On February 19, 2021, El Abuelito Inc. of Paterson, NJ, announced a recall on all their fresh cheese products (queso, fresco, and soft) due to a potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. On February 26, 2021, J&J Distributing (a New Harvest Foods Company) announced a nationwide recall on a slew of their taco products in connection with the El Abuelito listeria contamination. The full list of J&J recalled taco products can be found here. On February 27, 2021, El Abuelito Cheese company expanded the original recall to include Queso Fresco (Fresh,…
Uri Turns Out to be a Historic Winter Storm, Breaking 100 Year Records: Water Contamination Affects Millions Last week, Texas, as well as several other states, faced a historic winter storm, named Uri. Uri not only broke previous snow records in Texas, but also caused the cancellation of thousands of flights, and left millions without electricity and clean water for days on end. It is believed that Uri is responsible for at least 59 deaths across twelve states within just the past week. These deaths were caused by multiple factors, such as carbon monoxide poisoning from generators running in-doors, hypothermia…
Growing Salmonella Outbreak Affects Wild Birds by the Masses Large numbers of wild birds are falling ill and dying from a Salmonella outbreak which has spread across the western states, as well as in the coastal areas of North California, Oregon, and Washington, since December of 2020. Many of the above mentioned state’s Departments of Fish and Wildlife recently released a public warnings regarding the outbreak, which request that public and residential bird feeders be temporarily taken down, in order to decrease the spike in Salmonella infection currently spreading amongst wild birds. The outbreak first became apparent in early January…
Food Safety While Dining Out to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses While dining out offers an attractive alternative from cooking at home, it comes with responsibility. Foodborne illnesses remain a major concern for American individuals eating away from home, especially since there is no evidence to suggest COVID-19 is spread through handling or consumption of food. Follow these few simple cautionary measures to ensure safety from foodborne illnesses while enjoying eating out at restaurants or fast food locations. Examine inspection scores While most restaurants display their inspection results, almost all restaurant inspection scores can be found on local health department websites…
Allergy Alert Issued on Publix Brand Parmesan-Crusted Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillets On the 8th of February 2021, Ocean Beauty Seafood LLC issued an Allergy Alert on their Publix brand Parmesan-Crusted Alaskan Wild Salmon Fillets due to the undeclared allergen Soy found in the Parmesan-Crusted Alaskan Wild Salmon Fillets. 8,450 12 oz. packages with a UPC number of 41415 30245 7 of Ocean Beauty’s Parmesan-Crusted Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillets have been recalled. Directly distributed to Publix Supermarkets distribution centers in Florida and Georgia, the affected Parmesan-Crusted Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillets were also distributed to multiple southeast Publix retail stores. The Parmesan-Crusted…
What expectant mothers need to know about preventing Listeria Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shared that pregnant women are approximately 10 times more likely to become infected with listeriosis than other healthy individuals. It is also estimated that 1 out of 6 of all Listeria cases occur in expectant mothers. Listeria Monocytogenes is a dangerous bacterium most often found in pre-prepared refrigerated foods such as dairy, poultry, seafood, meat, and unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized milk products. The symptoms experienced by adults from Listeriosis often include diarrhea or an upset stomach, chills, fever, stiff neck, confusion, and dizziness,…