The Scheels family of Voorheesville, New York, was interviewed for a story in the Washington Times that was printed last weekend. Two of the Scheels triplets became ill with Salmonella infections after eating contaminated Veggie Booty earlier this year. The third, a picky eater who doesn’t like Veggie Booty, did not. Elex and Patrick Scheels expressed their frustrations over their children’s illness in the article:
Mrs. Scheels said she and her husband Patrick were "furious" when she found out how her children became ill.
She said they buy "high-end" food for their children, including organic foods, eggs from free-range hens and chicken raised without hormone supplements.
"We thought, ‘we spend more money so that something like this wouldn’t happen,’ " she said.
Marler Clark filed a lawsuit against Robert’s American Gourmet Food, the marketer of Veggie Booty, on behalf of the Scheels family in July.
Veggie Booty Salmonella Outbreak Background:
On June 28, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc. of Sea Cliff, New York, was recalling Veggie Booty Snack Food. The company, which makes the puffed rice and corn products, Veggie Booty and Pirate’s Booty, recalled all lots and sizes of Veggie Booty after health officials identified the product as the source of a Salmonella outbreak.
According to the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 51 cases of Salmonella in 17 states that are related to the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated Veggie Booty.
The Veggie Booty was distributed nationwide and in Canada, and was sold in 4 oz., 1 oz., and ½ oz. flexible plastic foil packages. Veggie Booty is sold in supermarkets, health food stores, vending machines, online, and via phone order in both the U.S. and Canada.