In June 2007, the American public was hit with yet another case of contaminated food. This time it was Robert’s America Gourmet Veggie Booty Snack Food, cited in at least 51 cases of salmonella across the country, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) press release. The recall came about five months after another nationwide recall of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butters, also due to salmonella contamination.

“State and federal public health officials warned consumers today not to eat Veggie Booty snack food,” the FDA announced. “An ongoing investigation has identified Veggie Booty as the source of a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis, with cases occurring as far back as early March.” Salmonellosis, more commonly known as salmonella, is a type of bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea, cramping, and fever. In most cases it causes extreme discomfort, but it is generally survivable. However small children and the elderly can be at risk of death or serious injury.

Since this snack food is popular with parents hoping to give their children a healthy snack, almost all of the salmonella cases involved infants and toddlers. The FDA reported five people in total had been hospitalized, though thankfully no deaths had occurred.

At the time of the recall, the salmonella outbreak was apparent in 17 states. New York state had the highest incidence level (13 cases) followed by CaliforniaColorado (5). Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin also had one or more reported cases of salmonella linked to “Veggie Booty” as of June 29, 2007. (7) and

Robert’s American Gourmet and its “Booty” line of snacks had recently been under fire for false advertising. A writer and mother of two from New York headed up a class action suit against the company in April 2007 when tests revealed its “Pirate’s Booty” actually had 8 grams of fat per serving instead of 2.5 grams – more than three times the fat content. As early as January 2000, the company was officially warned by the FDA for false advertising when it claimed its “Fruity Booty” was mostly fruit. In fact, it contained hardly any fruit at all.

But misleading nutritional information, as serious as it is, is a far cry from food poisoning especially when it comes to our children. It is unclear how many more cases of salmonella will appear around the country due to the tainted snacks, but what is clear is that there are already too many.

If you or your child has suffered from food poisoning, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or other serious symptoms of salmonella after eating Robert’s America Gourmet Veggie Booty, contact the legal experts at Jim S. Adler & Associates. We may be able to help you receive compensation for your monetary damages including medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-monetary damages like your pain and suffering. Call Jim S. Adler & Associates directly right now to find out more, or fill out the form on this page with the details of your food poisoning injuries for a free case review.

Additionally, Jim S. Adler & Associates has offices at City Place Building, 2711 North Haskell Ave., Suite 2100 LB40, Dallas, Texas 75204-2887;  San Pedro Plaza, 7330 San Pedro Ave., Suite 700, San Antonio, Texas 78216-6237; and Bank of America, 12605 East Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77015-5619 (serving Channelview, Texas).