Thomson International Facing Class Action Over 2020 Onion-Related Salmonella Newport Outbreak

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Thomson International faces a proposed class action over a 2020 Salmonella Newport outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked to the company’s red, white, yellow and sweet yellow onions. 

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At the center of the six-page lawsuit, which was removed to Montana federal court on February 11, is a CDC food safety alert wherein consumers were warned about salmonella infections linked to onions across multiple states. According to the CDC, at least 1,127 cases of salmonella have been linked to the onion-related outbreak, and the lawsuit says at least 63 cases have happened in Montana. 

A recall of all potentially contaminated red, yellow, white and sweet yellow onions was initiated by Thomson International on August 1, 2020, and the CDC reported that the outbreak appeared to be over as of October 8. 

The plaintiff claims to have consumed the defendant’s recalled onions in a salad at a Park County restaurant while unaware of the potential salmonella risk and subsequently “fell extremely ill, suffering over a week of diarrhea and vomiting” before being hospitalized for days. Per the suit, the plaintiff “did not make unreasonable use of the food product prior to consumption” and was unable to discover the defect considering it was not open and obvious. 

Thomson International “breached its duty of care” in that the affected onions were in a “defective condition” that made them unreasonably dangerous to consumers, the lawsuit says. 

“Defendant owed a duty of care to Plaintiff and other consumers to manufacture and sell food products fit for human consumption and free from any defective and unreasonably dangerous condition,” the case says. 

The suit, which was initially filed on October 6, 2020, looks to represent all Montana residents—more than 60 people—who suffered salmonella poisoning after consuming Thomson onions. The case is at least the second such lawsuit seeking to hold the company responsible for last year’s Salmonella Newport outbreak.

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