Families affected by the recent milk contamination incident involving Guida’s Dairy have filed a class action lawsuit against the Connecticut-based company. The lawsuit follows an incident in Camden County, New Jersey, where young children were accidentally served milk cartons containing sanitizer, originating from Guida’s Dairy.
The incident, which took place at an early childhood development center, has led to significant physical and emotional distress for the children and their families. Parents report their children are still recovering from the effects of ingesting the sanitizer and are traumatized by the event. One parent, Tiffanee Gould, highlighted the ongoing impact, stating her child is now hesitant to eat or drink anything due to the trauma.
Samuel D. Jackson of the Lento Law Group, representing the parents, emphasized the severity of the situation. He stated, “No parent should ever have to doubt whether the food their young children are served at school is safe.” Jackson further asserted that the alleged negligence by Guida-Seibert Dairy Company should serve as a critical warning to all food processors and service companies supplying schools about the potential for harm and long-term health consequences resulting from negligence.
The contamination incident unfolded approximately one week prior to the lawsuit announcement, impacting numerous students at the Camden County school. Parents described scenes of “complete chaos” as they grappled with the immediate aftermath. Ms. Gould recounted the confusion and alarm when she noticed a “big black C” on her son’s hand, which was later identified as relating to Cooper Medical Center, where children were taken for evaluation and treatment.
The lawsuit alleges that Guida Seibert Dairy Company failed to adequately prevent foreign substances, specifically diluted sanitizer, from contaminating their milk products. The sanitizer is believed to have been introduced through vendor machines used in the milk processing prior to packaging. In addition to the distress suffered by the children, the lawsuit details further repercussions for families, including one parent reportedly losing her job due to the need to care for her child following the incident.
Guida Dairy has acknowledged the incident and issued a statement indicating they were disposing of half-pint sized 1% low-fat milk cartons with a sell-by date of April 11. The company stated, “Once we were made aware of this issue, we took immediate action and tested impacted product to verify there is no food safety risk associated with this product… this should’ve been monitored better and it wasn’t.”
The parents involved in the class action lawsuit are seeking monetary compensation for the damages and distress caused, as well as a formal apology from Guida’s Dairy. It is important to note that Guida Dairy has confirmed that the contaminated milk was not distributed or sold in Connecticut, where the company is based.
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