By The Associated Press
Friday, September 4, 2009
An 85-year-old woman who fell sick after eating E. coli-tainted spinach during a massive nationwide outbreak three years ago is suing California growers and shippers.
Jane Majeska of Fond du Lac, Wis. was hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome and depended on a feeding tube and ventilator for survival after eating Dole spinach in August 2006.
The outbreak killed three people, sickened 200 and cost the industry $80 million in lost sales.
Her lawsuit filed Thursday seeks unspecified damages from Dole, Natural Selection Foods, Mission Organics and Pic-n-Save for her pain and suffering.
A Dole spokesman says the company does not comment on pending litigation.
Also Thursday, U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was considering a new proposal proponents say will help keep bacteria-tainted greens from reaching grocery shelves.
