New York Topps Hamburgers Outbreak

NEW YORK TOPPS HAMBURGER E. COLI OUTBREAK: Lawyers at the law firm of Pritzker | Ruohonen are currently representing victims of E. coli outbreaks linked to hamburger. At least 6 people in New York have been sickened after eating Topps hamburgers. 3 people have been hospitalized. There is also a confirmed case of E. coli in Florida and over 10 other cases being investigated in several states, including Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

In response, Topps Meat Company has recalled approximately 21,700,000 pounds of hamburgers (expanded from 331,582 pounds), much of it sold in New York to retailers and food service establishments. The meat was also sold to retailers nationwide. (Read about the Pennsylvania E. coli cases linked to Topps hamburgers and a Topps lawsuit and the New Jersey Topps E. coli cases and a Topps lawsuit.) The contamination was discovered after consumers became ill in Albany and Rensselaer Counties (New York) after eating hamburgers. The E. coli 0157:H7 strain in the consumers matched an E. coli strain found in the remaining Topps hamburgers in their home freezer. (See a list of the recalled Topps hamburgers.)

Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a DNA "fingerprinting" method used to match specific patterns in E. coli isolates. When people are sickened by E. coli with matching PFGE patterns, it means they were sickened by the same source and are part of the same outbreak. When E. coli found in a food product—hamburgers in this case—also has a matching PFGE pattern, that food is considered the source of the outbreak.

Pritzker | Ruohonen has extensive experience with E. coli lawsuits and has recovered millions for E. coli victims. The firm has gained a national reputation, and attorneys at the firm have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, and others. In recognition of their accomplishments, attorneys Fred Pritzker and Rich Ruohonen have been named "Super Lawyers" by a state legal magazine. To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the Pritzker | Ruohonen online consultation form.

Below is the New York Department of Health press release regarding the Topps hamburgers recall. Pritzker | Ruohonen is reprinting it here as a public service.

Consumer Alert: Agriculture & Health Commissioners Issue E. coli Alert in Ground Beef Hamburgers
September 25, 2007 (Since this consumer alert was published the CDC has identified 13 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 in New York that are associated with Topps hamburgers) - New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker and New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. today warned consumers not to eat certain Topps 100% Ground Beef Hamburgers due to possible contamination with E. coli 0157:H7.

The ground beef patties come in two sizes: Topps 100% Ground Beef Hamburgers, 20 Quarter Pounders with the product code SELL BY JUN 22 08 EST 9748 sold in five pound boxes and marked keep frozen; and Topps 100% Ground Beef Hamburgers, 12 Quarter Pounders with the product code SELL BY JULY 23 08 EST 9748 sold in three pound boxes and marked keep frozen. The Ground Beef Patties are manufactured by Topps Meat Company LLC, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207. They were distributed to grocery stores throughout New York State.

The contamination was discovered after consumers became ill in Albany and Rensselaer Counties after eating hamburgers. The E. coli 0157:H7 strain in the consumers matched an E. coli strain found in the remaining Topps hamburgers in their home freezer. Laboratory tests were conducted by the New York State Department of Health, using a type of DNA fingerprinting.

Follow-up investigations are being conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Department of Health. The Health Department is also investigating a number of other cases of E. coli infection. In addition, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service are also investigating additional products and codes.

E. coli 0157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacteria. Symptoms of illness associated with the bacteria include severe abdominal cramps, followed by watery and bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include vomiting and nausea accompanied by a low-grade fever. Anyone developing these symptoms should contact a doctor immediately.

Although most healthy adults can recover from E. coli 0157:H7 poisoning completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Consumers who have any of the aforementioned Topps 100% Ground Beef Hamburgers, should return them to the place of purchase. [Note from Pritzker | Ruohonen: If someone has eaten some of the hamburgers, do not return the rest of the them. Put them in a safe container and write “DO NOT EAT” on the container. The recalled Topps hamburgers may be returned if no one becomes ill 10 days after eating the hamburger. If someone is sickened and there is a New York Topps hamburgers lawsuit, the leftover hamburgers may be evidence. Contact an E. coli lawyer immediately if you or a family member is diagnosed with E. coli.]

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