Our law firm has been contacted by possible victims of the Salmonella Bredeney outbreak linked to Trader Joe’s peanut butter. The CDC is reporting 29 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) in 18 states, but we expect that number to grow. Four of the confirmed cases were hospitalized. Others hospitalized with Salmonella may also be part of this outbreak, and family members can contact our Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation here.
People sickened in the outbreak (and the parents of the many children) have been interviewed regarding foods they might have eaten and other exposures in the week before illness. Preliminary information indicates that Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt is a likely source for the Salmonella Bredeney infections. To date, CDC has collected interview information on 14 of the victims. All of them ate something purchased at Trader Joe’s locations across the United States. Twelve (86%) of 14 ill persons ate Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt in the week before becoming ill. This peanut butter is sold at Trader Joe’s grocery stores nationwide and on the internet. Investigations are ongoing to determine if any other foods sold primarily at Trader Joe’s grocery stores are also a source in this outbreak.
Trader Joe’s stores are located in 35 states and Washington DC:
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Among persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from June 11, 2012 to September 2, 2012. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year to 77 years, with a median age of 7 years. Seventy-six percent of ill persons are children under 18 years old. Sixty-four percent of ill persons are male. Among 11 ill persons with available information, 4 (36%) reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Read about the Trader Joe’s peanut butter recall prompted by this outbreak.
