Mouse droppings discovered in the bottom of a nachos’ bag led to a trip to the hospital for two students at a high school on the southside of Chicago last Thursday.

Two students at Hirsch Metropolitan High School on 7740 South Ingelside Avenue were eating lunch, pre-packaged nachos, when they noticed droppings at the bottom of the bag. The students were taken to a hospital to be checked out after complaining of the droppings to school officials.

The cafeteria was closed and inspected with mouse droppings being found in a box of bagged nachos. Cold lunches were brought in from an outside source for lunch on Thursday and Friday with pest control services scheduled for the end of the school day on Friday.

Lunch time at school should have no unpleasant surprises. If you or a loved one knows someone has been made ill by contaminated food, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A report from a federal inspection regarding a salmonella outbreak at an Indiana farm has been released to the public.

In August of 2012, a salmonella bacterium was found at the Chamberlain Farm in Indiana when reports of food poisoning were linked to the cantaloupes coming from the farm. The salmonella outbreak affected 270 people in 26 states. According to officials, 101 people were hospitalized and three deaths were reported in the state of Kentucky.

An inspector reported finding equipment that had not been cleaned properly as well as algae growing in standing water beneath conveyer belts in the plant. Of the two salmonella strains, one was found on cantaloupes that had been processed and boxed.

When a packing area is not properly maintained, problems with food safety can develop. If you or a loved one knows someone who had become ill due to contaminated food products, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com

Studies from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Reports magazine have found a high amount of a carcinogenic in rice, according to a report released on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

Studies by these organizations show that many rice products have high levels of organic and inorganic arsenic in rice products. Inorganic arsenic is considered a carcinogenic or cancer-causing agent. Currently, the U.S. FDA does not have standard levels regarding how much of this agent can be present in food stuffs. They have stated that they are prioritizing further assessments in order to make recommendations.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan stated that her office tested food products as well, finding troubling amounts of the inorganic agent in infant rice formula. Madigan is calling on the FDA to do further research to create a standard regarding inorganic arsenic as rice is used in so many food products for children. She also cautioned parents to moderate the amount of rice products they feed their families.

The food that we feed to our children should not make us wonder if it might cause health problems. If you or a loved one knows a family dealing with illness from a defective food product, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

As of  August 20, 2012, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states consumers need to be wary of cantaloupe from southwest Indiana identified as a source of an outbreak of salmonella poisoning.

This recent outbreak has been blamed for sickening 200 people in 21 states, 17 cases were reported in Illinois. 62 of those cases were hospitalized and two people have died.  The Chamberlain Farm, which is 20 miles east of Evansville, has been identified as the source of the contaminated cantaloupe. The farm owners are awaiting a report from health officials so that they can fix the problems.

Salmonella symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. While most people can recover without treatment, those people with compromised immune systems, infants and the elderly are more susceptible to the bacteria. Health officials are advising that people who have gotten sick after eating cantaloupe should see a doctor.

When salmonella poisoning strikes, it may not leave a person sick for just one night. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been made severally ill from contaminated food, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

It has now been discovered that some of the contaminated cantaloupe that caused the salmonella outbreak, which sickened nearly 200 people in 21 different states, came from a farm in southwestern Indiana.

According to officials with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the salmonella outbreak caused 178 people to become ill, 62 required hospitalization and two died as a result of the illness.

The cantaloupe were grown at Chamberlain Farms in Owensville and the investigation into the outbreak is still in its early phases. It is unknown if all the contaminated fruit can be traced back to this farm or not.

Officials have stated that until other sources are ruled out, consumers should avoid cantaloupe that is grown in that area of Indiana. The farm has stopped distributing the fruit as of Aug. 16 when the FDA alerted them that it may be contaminated.

If you or a loved one has become ill after eating contaminated food, contact the the Kankakee product liability lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., by calling 815-929-9292.

A popular variety of bagged lettuce was recalled over the weekend because of a possible risk for pathogen that causes food borne illness, according to an announcement by the Food and Drug Administration on Sunday, July 1, 2012.

A bag of Dole Heart of Romaine salads tested positive for the Listeria Momocytogenes during a random check by the FDA. Dole Fresh Vegetables choose to do a voluntary recall after the finding. This includes 2,598 cases of bagged salads distributed in the nine states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Listeria Momocytogenes is a form of food poisoning that affects pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems in particular. Symptoms of infection include fever, muscle aches and stomach problems that include nausea and diarrhea.

This item has a product code of 0540N165112A or B, with Use-by date of June 26 and a UPC code of UPC 7143000956. The FDA recommends that anyone who has one of these salad bags to throw it out immediately.

A faulty product can create more problems than a ruined meal. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been made ill by flawed product, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

An outbreak of Salmonella found in a fish product has sicken 116 people in 20 states, 10 of those cases are Illinois residents. The source was identified over the weekend as a fish processing plant in California.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak was first confirmed on April 4, 2012 with 93 people, including eight in the state of Illinois, infected with the virus. The outbreak involves salmonella bareilly, a strain of the salmonella bacterium.

Symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Dehydration and diarrhea can lead to a need for hospitalization. Minnesota Twins pitcher Liam Hendricks was recently hospitalized from symptoms of food poisoning and missed his scheduled pitching date in Baltimore.

The current outbreak is connected to illnesses reportedly occurring between January 28 and March 31. As of April 14,  the samonella infection has been attributed to Moon Marine USA Corporation (MMI) in California and a yellow fin tuna product. This product is sold to restaurants and supermarkets but not individuals. At this time, MMI is recalling 59,000 pounds of the tuna backmeat that can be found in ‘spicy tuna’ as well as other sushi and sashimi dishes.

If you or a loved one has been sickened with food poisoning, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com

Officials with the food safety administration are investigating what has caused a Salmonella outbreak that has caused eight people in Illinois to become ill.

Across the nation, nearly 93 people have become ill with this multi-state outbreak and 10 people have been sent to the hospital. The Center of Disease Control stated that the outbreak started in January and has continued through March.

The state of New York has more has had the most cases reported with 23 people sickened.  Officials are investigating whether the raw fish and sushi have been linked to the sickness.

The outbreak has currently not been linked to any specific food at this time. The illness usually last four to seven days and symptoms include fever, diarrhea and stomach pain. Those with weakened immune systems usually have more severe symptoms.

If you or a loved one has been sickened because of a food-borne illness, you need experienced representation on your side that is committed to helping those fight for the compensation that you deserve. Contact the Kankakee food product and containers lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., by calling 815-929-9292.

Many manufacturers have switched to organic brown rice syrup as a healthier alternative to sweetening their products, but new research shows that this ingredient may have higher levels of Arsenic in it.

According to a study done at Dartmouth College, it is not only the syrup itself that has higher levels of arsenic, but also the products that it is used in. Products that use this syrup include baby formula, energy bars and cereal bars.

Although the Food and Drug Administration does not have a regulation protocol on the amount of arsenic that is considered safe in food, the Environmental Protection Agency does have a standard for safe drinking water. The amount that is found in this product was measured to be nearly six times the limit on what the EPA considers the safe for drinking water.

Researchers began the increasing trend that the product is being used. In the study, 17 baby formulas were tested and two of these products used organic brown rice syrup. The two formulas that are used the organic brown rice syrup showed arsenic levels that are 20 times more concentrated than the baby formulas that did not use it.

If you or a loved one has used a product that may be unsafe, you need representation on your side that is committed to helping fight for justice. Contact the Kankakee food product lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., by calling 815-929-9292 today.