Vermont Mom Sues Peanut Butter Firm After Salmonella Infects Son

January 21, 2009 9:55 p.m. EST

Burlington, VT (AHN) - A mother from Burlington, Vermont has sued a peanut butter manufacturer linked to the salmonella outbreak in 43 states because his son was sickened by contaminated peanut butter crackers.

The lawyer of Gabrielle Meunier, 48, filed the lawsuit against Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia on Tuesday. She accused the company of negligence and asked for unspecified compensation.

Meunier said his 7-year-old son Christopher was hospitalized for salmonella poisoning seven weeks ago and has not yet fully recovered. She said the boy had eaten Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich crackers manufactured by Kellogg Company before he became ill.

Agents from the federal Food and Drug Administration had taken the crackers to test if it is tainted with salmonella. Test results will be available after one week or two weeks.

Last week, Kellogg recalled its Austin and Keebler brands of toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers, cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers and peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers. It also warned consumers not to eat those products containing PCA peanut butter because of possible salmonella contamination.

PCA recalled its King Nut and Parnell's Pride peanut butter with the lot code "8" on Jan. 10 after lab tests by the Minnesota Department of Health found one product contaminated with the salmonella strain linked to the outbreak that sickened 434 people nationwide since September.