Author: 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.
On May 20, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that J.M. Smucker Co. is recalling certain Jif® peanut butter products sold in the U.S. because of its connection to a multistate Salmonella outbreak. To date, there have been fourteen cases of illness and two hospitalizations resulting from the Salmonella outbreak. Epidemiological and traceback investigations strongly indicate that the Salmonella contamination is linked to certain Jif peanut butter products produced at the J.M. Smucker company factory in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the CDC, five of the five people who tested positive for Salmonella Senftenberg infections reported having eaten…
Scottish Nursery Closed Due to Potential E. Coli Outbreak A nursery by the name of Cherrytrees, located in Hawick, Scotland, was temporarily shut down this week due to an E. coli outbreak concern. The NHS Borders Health Protection team is working closely with Cherrytrees nursery to determine the source of the outbreak. All staff, teachers, and students are being asked to remain at home for the time being, in order to prevent the potential further spread of the infection. The director of public health at the NHS Borders Health Protection recently announced that “if you or your child have attended…
A legal investigation is being conducted regarding the French pizza plant, Nestle’s, which produced the Buitoni brand frozen pizzas implicated in the recent death of one person and the injury of fourteen others caused by E. coli infections. According to a spokesperson for the French prosecutor’s office, the case includes the charges of involuntary manslaughter, injury of fourteen other people, and numerous violations of food safety regulations. E. coli is a diverse type of bacteria present in our environment and even in our intestines. However, a certain type of E. coli, known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), can cause…
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers have identified more than 250 different foodborne illnesses. Every foodborne illness is caused by either a bacteria, virus, parasites, or harmful toxins and chemicals. It is estimated that each year, 48 million people become sick with food poisoning illnesses, 128,000 require hospitalization, and 3,000 of the cases result in death. Food poisoning occurs when a food or drink which is contaminated with a pathogenic germ is consumed and then the germ causes an infection in the person. The top five germs that most commonly cause food poisoning are…
It’s that time of year again! As memorial day and the excitement of summer barbeques approach, so does the likelihood of foodborne illnesses. Food-borne bacteria is known to increase rapidly between temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is typical exposure for food at a barbeque. However, these festive days can still be enjoyed in peace by following a few simple food safety guidelines. First of all, the most basic step; washing hands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Handwashing is one of the most important things you can do to prevent food…
On the fifth of May, 2021, yet another undeclared peanut allergy was announced. New Seasons Market LLC, in an alert published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the company itself, issued a recall of the Matiz Valencia Almonds. According to New Seasons Market’s website, the recall of the Matiz Valencia Almonds was initiated after “it was discovered peanuts were found in packages of almonds and (the) product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of peanuts.” This could be extremely dangerous to Matiz Valencia Almond consumers, as peanut allergies believed to affect as many…
On May 3, 2022, Sandra Eskin, the USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary of Food Safety in Health and Safety published an article titled, “Food Safety Is About People”, in which she addresses the USDA’s current efforts to reduce Salmonella contamination of poultry. On October 19, 2021, the USDA announced a comprehensive plan the FSIS would execute to reduce the number of Salmonella infections, particularly due to the contamination of poultry. The project’s goal was to reach a 25% decrease in Salmonella infections nationwide. In this announcement the FDA reported, “more than 1 million consumer illnesses due to Salmonella occur annually, and…
On April 28, 2022, Strauss Israel, a popular confectionery producer, recalled many of their Elite brand products, due to a concern that they may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella monocytogenes are a type of bacteria which can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections in infants, elderly people, and anyone with an otherwise weakened immune system. The typical symptoms of Salmonella infection that a healthy person may experience include fever, diarrhea which is sometimes bloody, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Symptoms usually begin within 6 hours to 6 days from the time of ingesting the germ through a contaminated food and…
This week, during a popular music and arts festival held in Riverside, California, over 100 bus drivers who were contracted out for transportation of guests during the festival became sick with food poisoning. Jose Arballo, Riverside County Health’s spokesperson, says that 46 of the bus drivers sought medical help at local hospitals and the remaining people chose to deal with their illness on their own or sought medical attention outside of Riverside County. While the exact source has not yet been determined, interviews regarding what the bus drivers ate in the days prior to becoming sick reveal that all the…
On Monday, April 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Lakeside Refrigerated Services’s recall of 120, 872 pounds of its ground beef, due to a concern of E. coli O103 contamination. The products of concern were produced between February 1, 2022, and April 8, 2022. All of the recalled products bear the establishment number “EST. 46841” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Lakeside Refrigerated Services is based in Swedesboro, New Jersey, however, the recalled products were distributed to various states nationwide, including PA, TX, CT, FL, LA, CA, IL, NC, NY, WA, VA, SC,…