Salmonella Food Poisoning Lawsuits Filed Against Jimmy John’s

At least two alfalfa sprout food poisoning lawsuits have been filed against Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Tiny Greens Organic Farms over a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 125 people nationwide. 

One of the Jimmy John’s lawsuit was filed in Indiana by Kylie N. Krebs and the other was filed by Daryl Van Schouwen, on behalf of his juvenile daughter, from Illinois. Both complaints allege that the plaintiffs suffered salmonella food poisoning after eating contaminated alfalfa sprouts supplied to Jimmy John’s restaurants by Tiny Greens Organic Farms.

As a result of salmonella poisoning, Krebs was hospitalized for several days and Schouwen’s daughter was treated and released from a hospital emergency room and missed more than a week of school.

According to a salmonella outbreak update issued by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 125 people in 22 states and the District of Columbia have been diagnosed as having the same strain of salmonella food poisoning between November 1, 2010, and January 11, 2011. Investigations by the FDA, CDC and state health investigators suggest there is a link between the outbreak and sprouts from Tiny Greens Organic Farms. Many of those who have fallen ill reportedly at a Jimmy John’s restaurant.

A Tiny Greens alfalfa sprout recall was issued late last month and Jimmy John’s has switched to a different type of sprout as a result of the illnesses.

Officials from Tiny Greens said that no testing has found the strain of salmonella responsible for the illnesses on their farms. However, FDA investigators report that even though testing in the farm has turned up negative results, environmental water runoff samples from the farm were found to be contaminated with the exact same strain of salmonella.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning. For most healthy adults, symptoms of food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.

The strain of salmonella involved in this outbreak, Salmonella Serotype I 4,5,12,i-, is an antibiotic resistant strain. About a quarter of those who have fallen ill have required hospitalization.