Tainted Beef Sickens At Least 14 People

US - Tainted beef has sickened at least 14 people in California, prompting the family of one sickened girl to sue the company that sold the beef, it was reported Saturday.
calendar icon 18 June 2007
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The United Food Group voluntarily recalled 5.7 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef earlier this month after at least 14 people were sickened by tainted beef.

"United Food Group remains deeply sorry that any illnesses may have resulted from the recalled product," the company said in a statement.

The family of a 4-year-old girl who is among the sickened has filed a lawsuit against the company, based in Vernon, Southern California, the Los Angeles Times said.

Lawrence Fournier and Cynthia Centura said their daughter was hospitalized for three weeks with life-threatening complications of E. coli contamination, including kidney failure, after eating spaghetti sauce made with beef that tested positive for the bacteria.

The family is seeking unspecified damages from United Food Group,according to the paper.

United Food said it had not yet been able to review the lawsuit.

Centura bought the beef at a market in Hemet on April 21 and served it in the sauce to the girl that same day, according to the suit.

Within a few days, Lauren Fournier became severely ill with cramps, bloody diarrhea, dehydration and hemolytic uremic syndrome, a digestive system infection that destroys red blood cells, which caused her kidneys to fail, the lawsuit contends.

The girl required eight rounds of dialysis and five blood transfusions, according to the suit.

Source: People's Daily Online

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