Salmonella In Cadbury's Chocolate

In June 2006, the Food Standards Agency forced Cadburys to withdraw a million chocolate bars from shops and supermarkets after Salmonella Montevideo was identified at one of its factories. The Health Protection Agency identified 42 people who had been infected with this strain of Salmonella, which caused diarrhoea, vomiting fever, chills and headaches. The contamination was traced to a leaking pipe at a Cadbury's plant in Herefordshire in January.

Cadbury’s were fined £1 million in June last year following the outbreak which left three victims in hospital. The company pleaded guilty to nine food safety offences at an earlier hearing and was also ordered to pay costs of more than £152,000 by The Judge at the Birmingham Crown Court.

Among the offences included supplying "unsafe" chocolate products, failing to tell the authorities it had reason to believe the products might injure human health due to the presence of salmonella and failing to identify the hazards associated with its contaminated products.

Irwin Mitchell currently represent a number of clients who suffered illness as a result of contracting Salmonella Montevideo. Three of these cases, all of which involve children, have recently settled.

All three children suffered similar symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea but for varying durations, fortunately however each child has made a full recovery, with no continuing problems. The three children each received different levels of compensation which reflected level of injury and duration. Two of the children received £860 and £870 retrospectively, whilst the third received £2020 as their injuries were more substantial. These monies will be held in a court trust fund until they reach 18.

If you've suffered food poisoning due to poor hygiene standards, our personal injury lawyers could help you claim compensation. For more information visit our Food Poisoning Compensation Claims page.

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