Attorney links E. coli outbreak in spinach to Natural Selection grower
Attorney links E. coli outbreak in spinach to Natural Selection grower
Bill Marler of the Seattle-based law firm Marler Clark has identified Mission Organics -- a company with direct partnership ties to Natural Selection Foods -- as a grower that grew spinach involved in last year's E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that sickened more than 200 people and killed at least three -- and possibly five -- others.
Mission Organics is a partnership among Mission Ranches; Drew and Myra Goodman as Earthbound Farm Inc.; and Otto Kramm. Mission Ranches, Earthbound Farm Inc. and Tanimura & Antle are partners in Natural Selection Foods.
In speaking with The Produce News Tuesday, Feb. 27, by phone from Salinas, CA, Mr. Marler further identified the tainted spinach as having been grown at Paicines Ranch in the town of Paicines, in California's San Benito County. Mr. Marler was preparing to give a forum on the E. coli outbreak in spinach at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas Wednesday, Feb. 28.
His firm represents 90 individual cases involving people who were sickened or died as a result of eating the tainted spinach. Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Bautista, CA, packed the bags of tainted spinach as conventionally grown spinach under the "Dole" label. According to Mr. Marler, Natural Selection, Dole Food Co., Salinas, CA-based Dole Fresh Vegetables and Mission Organics all are legally responsible for the sickness and death that occurred as a result of consumers eating the tainted spinach.
Mr. Marler said that three distinct strains of E. coli pathogens have been identified in the outbreak and that while Paicines Ranch is involved, other farms may yet be named in lawsuits. His firm has filed eight cases stemming from the spinach outbreak, the trial of which is set for July in Maryland.
He said that combined with his 90 clients, around half of the consumers reported sickened by tainted spinach have sought legal representation. The total damages sought in all the lawsuits that will be filed is "tens upon tens of millions of dollars," Mr. Marler said.
Also on Feb. 27, California health officials said at a legislative hearing before members of the Senate and Assembly agriculture committees that the fresh spinach implicated in the outbreak was grown on a roughly 50-acre plot in San Benito County, although they did not identify Paicines Ranch by name. Previously, officials had four farms on the hook as possible sites of the outbreak - three in San Benito County and one in Monterey County.
At the hearing, representatives of the Department of Health Services acknowledged that they have identified the grower who was farming the 50- acre plot, which was in transition to organic production. They said that they plan to release their final report with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in the coming weeks.
In media reports, Dr. Jeff Farrar of the California Health Department acknowledged that the tainted spinach was grown on ground that was in the second year of a three-year transition to an organic operation.
By definition, produce that is being grown using organic methods cannot be considered to be organic until it is certified as such, and produce grown on transitional ground has not yet met the standard to be considered organically grown.
Mission Organics is a partnership among Mission Ranches; Drew and Myra Goodman as Earthbound Farm Inc.; and Otto Kramm. Mission Ranches, Earthbound Farm Inc. and Tanimura & Antle are partners in Natural Selection Foods.
In speaking with The Produce News Tuesday, Feb. 27, by phone from Salinas, CA, Mr. Marler further identified the tainted spinach as having been grown at Paicines Ranch in the town of Paicines, in California's San Benito County. Mr. Marler was preparing to give a forum on the E. coli outbreak in spinach at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas Wednesday, Feb. 28.
His firm represents 90 individual cases involving people who were sickened or died as a result of eating the tainted spinach. Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Bautista, CA, packed the bags of tainted spinach as conventionally grown spinach under the "Dole" label. According to Mr. Marler, Natural Selection, Dole Food Co., Salinas, CA-based Dole Fresh Vegetables and Mission Organics all are legally responsible for the sickness and death that occurred as a result of consumers eating the tainted spinach.
Mr. Marler said that three distinct strains of E. coli pathogens have been identified in the outbreak and that while Paicines Ranch is involved, other farms may yet be named in lawsuits. His firm has filed eight cases stemming from the spinach outbreak, the trial of which is set for July in Maryland.
He said that combined with his 90 clients, around half of the consumers reported sickened by tainted spinach have sought legal representation. The total damages sought in all the lawsuits that will be filed is "tens upon tens of millions of dollars," Mr. Marler said.
Also on Feb. 27, California health officials said at a legislative hearing before members of the Senate and Assembly agriculture committees that the fresh spinach implicated in the outbreak was grown on a roughly 50-acre plot in San Benito County, although they did not identify Paicines Ranch by name. Previously, officials had four farms on the hook as possible sites of the outbreak - three in San Benito County and one in Monterey County.
At the hearing, representatives of the Department of Health Services acknowledged that they have identified the grower who was farming the 50- acre plot, which was in transition to organic production. They said that they plan to release their final report with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in the coming weeks.
In media reports, Dr. Jeff Farrar of the California Health Department acknowledged that the tainted spinach was grown on ground that was in the second year of a three-year transition to an organic operation.
By definition, produce that is being grown using organic methods cannot be considered to be organic until it is certified as such, and produce grown on transitional ground has not yet met the standard to be considered organically grown.
