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.
Victory for Kids (and Their Moms!): Raw Cookie Dough Products From Pillsbury are Now Safe to Eat Rejoice, cookie dough lovers! Pillsbury has announced that some of their refrigerated cookie dough products are now safe to eat. Typically, raw cookie dough is unsafe to eat due to the raw flour and raw eggs, which can cause food poisoning. However, Pillsbury has modified their recipe for some cookie dough and brownie products so that they are safe to eat raw. They are now using pasteurized eggs and heat-treated flour to eliminate the risk of food poisoning. Raw cookie dough that…
Unknown Source Causes Salmonella Outbreak in Fifteen States In 15 states, at least 125 people have reported Salmonella infections due to an unknown source. The illnesses began on June 19, 2020, and reportedly ended on July 7, 2020, requiring 24 hospitalizations. As of now, Oregon has the highest number of cases with 42 reported illnesses, followed by Utah (28), Michigan (12), Montana (11), Wyoming (9), Ohio (5), California (3), Iowa (3), Minnesota (3), North Carolina (3), Missouri (2), Illinois (1), Tennessee (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (1). The CDC is currently investigating the outbreak, having found no restaurants, grocery…
Salmonella Evolves: New Dangerous Strains Pose Increased Risk for Food Producers, Manufacturers, and the Patrons Who Consume The Food They Produce Scientists at the University of Delaware have found new strains of Salmonella that are not able to be washed off of infected plants, such as leafy greens and other vegetables. By entering through a plants stomates, the microscopic holes in plant’s leafs that open and close during the gas exchange process, the Salmonella bacteria evades the plants immune system response and is able to freely infect the plant. Typically, plant bacteria and fungi infect plants because they have…
Judge Orders Charges Against Former Blue Bell President, Brought Due to His Handling of Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Dropped – For Now After previously ordering Blue Bell to pay $17.25 million in criminal charges, with an additional $2.1 million for civil claims, charges were also filed against former president and CEO Paul Kruse. The charges were made regarding the 2015 Blue Bell Listeria outbreak, which caused at least 10 illnesses and 3 deaths – though some food poisoning experts believe the number is actually much higher. Paul Kruse faced felony charges for conspiracy in telling his workers to deny any…
FDA Creates New Blueprint for Food Safety Protocol The FDA has created a blueprint for the New Era for Smarter Food Safety, an initiative designed in hopes to initiate a digital food safety system to ensure traceability, accountability, and safety. The Blueprint concentrates on four core elements: Tech-enabled Traceability, Smarter Tools and Approaches for Prevention and Outbreak Response, New Business Models and Retail Modernization, and Food Safety Culture. The first core element, Tech-enabled Traceability, is perhaps the most important one, declaring the need for food safety accessibility through the utilization of technology. Although new technology, such as analyzing…
Cyclospora Bagged Salad Outbreak in Iowa Affects 160 – this Number is Expected to Grow as More Testing Performed Iowa continues to hold the highest number of cases in the ongoing Fresh Express Bagged Salad Cyclospora Outbreak, compared to the other 7 affected states, with a total of 160 confirmed cases. Cyclospora, officially known as Cyclospora cayetanensis, is a type of parasite which uses the human gut as its host. The parasite enters the human body by being ingested with fresh fruits, vegetables, or water, at which point the parasite begins to live and multiply in the gut. Because the…
Fresh Express Cyclospora Outbreak Numbers Spike as It Spreads To Canada The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) reports that the investigation of the Fresh Express Bagged Salad Cyclospora Outbreak continues, as the CDC reports increasingly greater numbers of confirmed cases of infection. The last investigation report published by the FDA concerning the Fresh Express Cyclospora Outbreak, on June 28, 2020, accounted for 206 confirmed cases of Cyclospora infection. As of July 8, 2020, the FDA announced that the number of confirmed cases have jumped to a total of 509, across 8 states. Furthermore, health officials report that the outbreak…
Cyclospora Outbreak in Illinois Growing Rapidly as Cyclospora Lawyers File Series of Lawsuits Illinois has been facing a Cyclospora outbreak since May, part of an estimated 509 illnesses in 8 states, with Illinois alone accounting for, by the CDC’s numbers, 151 confirmed cases. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released its numbers showing at least 173 Cyclospora confirmed cases as of July 9, 2020. This extremely high number of cases in Illinois has now been attributed to Fresh Express of Streamwood, Illinois, the production facility of the bagged salad product that caused the Cyclospora outbreak. Fresh Express…
Food Safety Tips: How to Avoid Food Poisoning During Summer Months As temperatures continue rising during the summer months, foodborne illnesses are also on the rise. Food poisoning is more common during warmer weather because foodborne illness causing bacteria— such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria— thrive at increased temperatures. Temperatures ranging from 90 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit allow bacteria to reproduce, specifically with added moisture, such as humidity. Cooking and eating outside during warm weather, such as at a barbecue or picnic, increases the likelihood of contracting food poisoning; thus, certain steps should be taken to avoid summertime…
People ingesting Parasites File Cyclospora Lawsuits In Iowa and Illinois: Cyclospora Lawyer Ron Simon Comments The Cyclospora Lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates have now filed the seventh Cyclospora Lawsuit in the large outbreak linked to Fresh Express produced salad mix – a company with its primary place of business in Florida. The parasite infected product (most likely Cyclospora infected lettuce) is believed to have originated in Mexico, though the investigation is ongoing. According to Ron Simon & Associates, the national Cyclospora attorneys, they have led the way in each of the major Cyclospora outbreaks in recent years, and have…