Marquette County has recently experienced a small Salmonella outbreak among residents. Salmonella is one of many foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and Norovirus. These infections tend to cause varying degrees of illness and may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and sometimes fever. Many foodborne illnesses increase during the warm summer months as people picnic and have outdoor family gatherings. Below are some tips to be used to avoid contracting and spreading foodborne illness:

  •   Avoid cross-contamination in your kitchen. Never allow foods that will not be cooked (like salads) to come into contact with raw foods of animal origin (e.g., on dirty countertops, kitchen sinks, or cutting boards). Wash hands after handling raw foods. Kitchen work surfaces and utensils should be washed with soap and water, and sanitized with a bleach solution, immediately after they have been in contact with raw foods of animal origin.
  •   Monitor food temperatures, particularly when picnicking or traveling with foods. As a general rule, cold foods should be kept cold and warm foods should be kept warm.
  •   Do not eat or drink foods containing raw or undercooked eggs. Examples include undercooked eggs, homemade eggnog, hollandaise sauce, and undercooked French toast. Eggs should be cooked until they reach 145 oF or until the yoke is solid. Pasteurized eggs are available in some
    grocery stores.
  •   Never drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or cider.
  •   Cook food thoroughly, poultry 165 oF, beef and pork 1 45oF, ground beef 1 55oF.
  •   Remember that it is allowable for restaurants to serve items that include undercooked foods suchas rare meat or runny eggs; as long as they warn you that undercooked foods may make you ill. This information is contained in a “menu advisory.” When dining out you should review your menu and be aware of items that may be undercooked. If unsure, ask your waiter.
  •   If you are served undercooked meat, poultry, or eggs in a restaurant or at a gathering, don’t hesitate to ask that the food be cooked further. If you choose to eat undercooked meat, poultry, or eggs you are placing yourself at risk of contracting a foodborne illness.

Salmonella:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.