Listeria Laced Salad Allegedly Kills Ohio Woman
August 22, 2016
When you grocery shop, you expect your food to be safe, especially when it is bagged and looks fresh and appealing.
The salad that 79-year-old Ellen DiStefano consumed one night killed her. It was contaminated with Listeria bacteria which invaded her body putting her into a coma. Dole’s Springfield, Ohio plant was identified as the source of the Listeria tainted salads. The plant was shuttered for three months to deal with the issue.
DiStefano’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dole alleging gross negligence, malice, recklessness and wanton/willful disregard for the public. It was the second suit filed in relation to the outbreak and it alleges that Dole did not have a system in place to prevent contamination. It further alleges that the company knew about the Listeria contamination prior to the outbreak, as far back as 2014.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dole’s product showed signs of Listeria during swab rests in 2014, yet they continued to ship their salads throughout the United States and Canada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that at least 19 individuals were seriously affected by the tainted salads and one man in Michigan died. In Canada, there were 14 reported cases in five provinces and three deaths that may be linked to the Dole salads. It is anticipated that there will be more lawsuits filed in the months to come.
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