Listeria-contaminated Cheese Leads to Premature Birth; Family Sues Distributor

By News Desk | October 4, 2012 A California couple has filed suit against the importer, distributor and retailer of the ricotta cheese that's been linked to a multistate Listeria outbreak. The couple's son was born prematurely after his pregnant mother contracted a Listeria infection from eating the cheese. Joanna Valentine and Laurie Sorenson filed a lawsuit Thursday against Forever Cheese, Inc., which imports the Marte brand Ricotta Salata Frescolina that's been named as the outbreak source. Other defendants named in the complaint include The Aniata Cheese Co., a distributor of the ricotta, and Cookbook Los Angeles, the store where the cheese was purchased. According to the couple's attorneys – who filed the complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court – Valentine fell ill September 12 during the 26th week of her pregnancy. She began experiencing fatigue and back pain, which worsened over the next few days. On September 18 Sorenson took Valentine to the emergency room, where she was brought to the labor and delivery room. The next day, their son was born prematurely at 27 weeks gestation. The infant remains in the neonatal intensive care unit, where he has been treated for high blood pressure, spinal meningitis, kidney failure and bleeding around the brain. Valentine reports having eaten Marte brand Ricotta Salata Frescolina cheese on several occasions in the week preceding her illness. Tests revealed the presence of the outbreak strain of Listeria in both her baby and the placenta. Valentine and Sorenson are being represented by Marler Clark, the food safety law firm that underwrites Food Safety News. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Lawsuits & Litigation » Tags: lawsuit, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis