A recall of contaminated cereal products has resulted in a Canada-wide class action lawsuit against the Quaker Oats Company and PepsiCo Canada after its products sickened people with salmonella poisoning.On January 11, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFISA) issued the recall for 38 Quaker products, including granola, cereal — including Cap’n Crunch breakfast bars — and then later recalled an additional 30 yogurt and parfait products that contained Quaker granola.On Friday, Vancouver-based Slater Vecchio LLP launched the lawsuit “on behalf of all persons in Canada” who believe they got sick after eating the products..“Canadians trust manufacturers to produce packaged foods that can safely be consumed without the risk of illness from contamination,” Sam Jaworski, a partner at Slater Vecchio LLP, said in a statement.“Through a class action, Canadians can access justice to hold suppliers accountable through strength in numbers, even if it would not be economical to pursue a lawsuit at the individual level.”Salmonella is a bacterial infection which is transmitted through contaminated food and water. It can pose a significant health threat to children and older adults, leading to severe gastrointestinal symptoms, dehydration and in extreme cases, death.It is considered one of the most prolific pathogens in commercial food products after E. coli, which sickened 356 kids at Calgary daycare centres last October.The same law firm also filed two class-action lawsuits against Mexican food company Malichita and two US food companies for contaminated cantaloupes that killed seven people and infected 100 more in 2023.Salmonella symptoms start between six and 72 hours after exposure and can last anywhere from four to seven days, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). They may include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache or abdominal cramps.Most people recover on their own, but extreme cases may require hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics.
A recall of contaminated cereal products has resulted in a Canada-wide class action lawsuit against the Quaker Oats Company and PepsiCo Canada after its products sickened people with salmonella poisoning.On January 11, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFISA) issued the recall for 38 Quaker products, including granola, cereal — including Cap’n Crunch breakfast bars — and then later recalled an additional 30 yogurt and parfait products that contained Quaker granola.On Friday, Vancouver-based Slater Vecchio LLP launched the lawsuit “on behalf of all persons in Canada” who believe they got sick after eating the products..“Canadians trust manufacturers to produce packaged foods that can safely be consumed without the risk of illness from contamination,” Sam Jaworski, a partner at Slater Vecchio LLP, said in a statement.“Through a class action, Canadians can access justice to hold suppliers accountable through strength in numbers, even if it would not be economical to pursue a lawsuit at the individual level.”Salmonella is a bacterial infection which is transmitted through contaminated food and water. It can pose a significant health threat to children and older adults, leading to severe gastrointestinal symptoms, dehydration and in extreme cases, death.It is considered one of the most prolific pathogens in commercial food products after E. coli, which sickened 356 kids at Calgary daycare centres last October.The same law firm also filed two class-action lawsuits against Mexican food company Malichita and two US food companies for contaminated cantaloupes that killed seven people and infected 100 more in 2023.Salmonella symptoms start between six and 72 hours after exposure and can last anywhere from four to seven days, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). They may include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache or abdominal cramps.Most people recover on their own, but extreme cases may require hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics.
