Yes, you can sue Cargill for a food poisoning illness or wrongful death if there is evidence to support your claim. Lawsuits for E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria illnesses have been filed against Cargill.
Pritzker Hageman lawyers have won some of the biggest food poisoning verdicts and settlements in America on behalf of our clients including numerous million and multi-million dollar recoveries. Our legal team has pioneered new legal ground on multiple food poisoning cases including a landmark verdict in a case against a major poultry producer on behalf of a child who suffered brain damage after contracting a Salmonella Heidelberg infection from contaminated poultry.
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The World’s Largest Private Company, Billions in Revenue
With over 155,000 employees and operations in 70 countries, global food conglomerate Cargill Inc., based in Wayzata, MN, is the world’s largest private company. In 2019, the last year it disclosed earnings data, Cargill reported $113.5 billion in revenue and $2.8 billion in net income. That same year, the company built a new $70 million headquarters in Wichita, KS for its meat processing division Cargill Protein – North America, formerly known as Cargill Meat Solutions.
Cargill meat and poultry products are sold to retailers, foodservice companies, and food manufacturers. It is the nation’s third-largest producer of turkey, according to Watt Poultry USA. The company’s retail turkey products are sold under the brand names Honeysuckle White, Shadybrook Farms, and Honest Turkey. Its deli meats are sold under the brand names Charter Reserve, Castle Wood Reserve, Willow Brook Farms, and Honeysuckle White. And its retail beef products are sold under the brand names Sterling Silver, Angus Pride, Preferred Angus, Corner & Company, Rumba, Excel, and Our Certified.
Cargill Protein operates 29 processing plants in the U.S. and nine in Canada. Between 2000 and 2021, Cargill’s U.S. facilities produced beef and turkey products that were recalled for bacterial contamination 15 times. During that same period, Cargill meat and poultry products were identified as the source of at least nine multistate outbreaks that resulted in at least 400 illnesses four deaths, and three miscarriages. The ground beef, ground turkey, and deli turkey associated with these E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria outbreaks, was produced at six Cargill locations.
Cargill Food Poisoning Outbreaks
2018 Ground Beef E. coli O26
In 2018, ground beef produced at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan, Colorado was linked to an E. coli O26 outbreak that sickened 18 people in four states – CO (1), FL (15), MA ( 1), and TN (1). Six people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a complication of E. coli infections, and were hospitalized. One person in Florida died.
The company issued a recall for the ground beef which was sold at Meijer, Safeway, and Sam’s Club stores nationwide, at Target stores in five states, and Publix stores in Florida.
Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Outbreak
Meijer, Safeway, Sam’s Club, Target Sold Cargill Beef Recalled for E.coli
2012 Ground Beef Salmonella Enteritidis
In 2012, ground beef produced at Cargill Meat Solutions in Wyalusing, PA was linked to a nine-state Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 46 people. Twelve people were hospitalized. The number of cases from each state was: MA (3), ME(2), NH (3), NC (1), NY (20), RI (3), VA (2), VT (11), and WV(1). The recalled meat was sold at Hannaford supermarket stores in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.
Cargill Ground Beef Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak
Cargill Ground Beef Salmonella Recall
2011 Ground Turkey Salmonella Heidelberg
In 2011, ground turkey produced at Cargill Meat Solutions in Springdale, AR was linked to a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak that sickened 136 people in 34 states. The outbreak strain was resistant to antibiotics. One person died.
Cargill issued a recall for 36 million pounds of ground turkey sold under the brand name Honeysuckle White at grocery stores nationwide. At the time, it was one of the largest-ever meat/poultry recalls.
The number of illnesses reported from each state was: AL (1), AR(1), AZ (3), CA (7), CO (4), Connecticut (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (16), Indiana (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (1), Michigan (12), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (7), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New York (3), North Carolina (4), Ohio (12), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (8), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (18), Utah (1), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (4).
Cargill Ground Turkey Salmonella Heidelberg Outbreak
Cargill Ground Turkey Salmonella Heidelberg Recall- 36 Million Pounds
2010 Ground Beef E. coli O26
In 2010, ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. in Wyalusing, PA sickened three people in Maine and New York. The ground beef was sold at BJ’s Wholesale Clubs.
Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Outbreak
Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Recall
2009 Ground Beef Salmonella Newport
In May 2009, ground beef produced by Cargill-owned Beef Packers Inc. in Fresno, CA was linked to an outbreak that sickened 68 people in 11 states. In August, the company issued a recall for 830,000 pounds of ground beef. The company stated that although it is a major supplier to the National School Lunch Program, none of the recalled meat was sent to schools. However, a USA Today report based on documents from a Freedom of Information Act found that meat produced during the time of the recall was sent to schools if tests for Salmonella were negative. In November, the company recalled an additional 20,000 pounds of ground beef after two illnesses, caused by the same Salmonella Newport strain, were reported in Arizona.
States reporting cases included: AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, MI, NE, NM, NV, SD, TN, TX, UT and WY.
Note: USDA FSIS recently removed from its website all meat and poultry recalls prior to 2010.
2007 Ground Beef E. coli O157:H7
In 2007, ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. in Wyalusing, PA was linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened at least eight people in MN and WI. The patients developed E. coli infections after they prepared and ate frozen hamburger patties they had purchased from Sam’s Club stores.
Cargill Recalls Million Pounds Ground Beef E. coli Threat
Cargill Recalls Beef Patties on E. coli Scare
Note: USDA FSIS recently removed from its website all meat and poultry recalls prior to 2010.
2002 Ground Beef Salmonella Newport
In 2002, 47 people in five states were sickened by ground beef contaminated with Salmonella Newport produced by Emmpak Foods, a Milwaukee-based subsidiary of Cargill. The number of cases reported from each state was New York (34 cases), Michigan (five), Pennsylvania (four), Ohio (two), and Connecticut (two). No recall was issued.
2002 Ground Beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
In October 2002, ground beef produced by Emmpak Foods, Inc. a Milwaukee subsidiary of Cargill was linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that had sickened more than 50 people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and New York. The company recalled about 3 million pounds of ground beef and had to temporarily suspend production at the Milwaukee plant when the USDA suspended meat inspections.
Meatpacker Recalls Tons of Beef
Note: USDA FSIS recently removed from its website all meat and poultry recalls prior to 2010.
2000 Deli Turkey Listeria
In 2000, deli turkey produced by Cargill Turkey Products Inc. of Waco, Texas was linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak that sickened 29 people in 10 states. Four people died and three pregnant women suffered miscarriages. The number of cases reported from each state was NY (15), GA (3); CT (2), OH (2), MI(2), CA (1), PA (1), TN(1), UT (1) and WI(1). The outbreak was linked to a recall of 16 million pounds of deli meat.
Listeria Outbreak in Cargill Turkey Poses Problems for Meat Industry
Note: USDA FSIS recently removed from its website all meat and poultry recalls prior to 2010.
Experienced Food Poisoning Lawyers
If you were sickened by contaminated food, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Food Poisoning Team. We have represented clients in most major food poisoning outbreaks in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.