A fifth lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Florida resident, Sherie Jenkins, against ProSource Produce, LLC. In this Salmonella lawsuit linked to onions, the plaintiff is represented by Marler Clark, the Food Safety Law Firm, and the Hepworth, Holzer Law Firm of Boise, Idaho.
The case was filed in the District Court for the District of Idaho. Complaint #1:22-cv-00044-REP.
On September 18, 2021, Ms. Jenkins purchased and consumed a sandwich containing onions manufactured by the Defendant from the Publix grocery store formerly located at 1880 US-1 S, Rockledge, Florida 32955. This Publix location has since closed permanently.
"The FDA and the onion growers and processors need to do more to protect the public from a potentially deadly pathogen"
On September 19, 2021, Ms. Jenkins experienced the onset of symptoms consistent with a Salmonella infection, including abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and headache. When her symptoms did not improve, she sought medical care, and on September 27, 2021, tests revealed the presence of Salmonella bacteria in her blood. Her doctor told her to go directly to the ER, where she was admitted for sepsis and remained hospitalized until October 2, 2021. Both the hospital and the Florida Department of Health confirmed that she was a genetic match to the 2021 Salmonella Oranienberg outbreak.
"This is the second Salmonella outbreak linked to onions in as many years. In both outbreaks over 1,000 people were sickened with hundreds hospitalized," said William Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark. "The FDA and the onion growers and processors need to do more to protect the public from a potentially deadly pathogen," added Marler.
As of January 20, 2022, a total of 1,040 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg were reported from 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Sick people ranged in age from less than 1 year to 101 years, with a median age of 38, and 58% being female. Of 778 people with information available, 260 (33%) were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31, 2021, to January 1, 2022.
The FDA conducted a traceback investigation and identified ProSource Inc. as a common supplier of imported onions to many of the restaurants where sick people ate. They are working to determine if other suppliers of onions may be linked to this outbreak or if there is a common supplier of onions in Chihuahua, Mexico.
