California Files Lawsuit against Major Grocery Retail Stores

Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and others have been served a lawsuit from the State of California after selling ginger and plum products that had dangerous levels of lead in them.
 
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - June 4, 2013 - PRLog -- Stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market have been under scrutiny after investigators found that they were selling candies that were dangerously tainted. California’s attorney general has now filed a lawsuit against the retailers for their complete disregard to the safety of their customers.

The lawsuit was filed on April 30 in San Francisco Superior Court against Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Target, 99 Ranch Market, Island Pacific Supermarket, Marina Food and other small retailers; and it alleges that these stores have been selling candy, snacks and bulk food made with ginger or plum that contain high levels of lead that can cause some serious consequences for the consumers.

As well as endangering their shoppers, the stores have also failed to label their products correctly, which would warn customers about the risks involved with the items. Many stores receive their merchandise from areas that do not have the same kind of contamination laws; and by the time the products are on the shelves, the actual contents of them are a mystery.

This suit seeks to force sellers to inspect their items more carefully and to label them appropriately. If foods do not meet the standards of safety that the state requires, then they cannot be sold in the stores.

Target has led the change by removing Archer Farms ginger candies from its retail; however, other stores like Trader Joe’s are still choosing to sell the tainted products, even after the lawsuit has been filed.

The stores that have begun to investigate the matter and remove the contaminated items have also issued recall notices to the shoppers that warn them of the dangers and that offer full refund for purchased products.

The investigation began last year by the Center for Environmental Health, which sues businesses that violate Proposition 65. Though no real numbers have been reported, it has been verified that the levels of lead in each of the items tested were well above the maximum limit allowed.

Exposure to high amounts of lead can lead to cancer and other diseases, damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, damage to the kidneys, high blood pressure and anemia. It also affects the brain development of fetuses belonging to pregnant women who consume the products.

Many products that are sold in the United States that contain ginger are imported from Asia, where food is often produced in contaminated environments without any real enforcement before exportation. Many food manufacturers from overseas do not test their products before sending them out, and so it should be the duty of the retailers to make sure that the foods that they are selling follow the rules of American health safety.

The state expects a legal response from the stores this month.

If you have purchased a dangerous or defective product and want to learn more about your rights, contact a San Francisco product liability attorney today at http://bestaccident-attorneys.com/. A lawyer can assist you in identifying negligence, filing claims and can award you the highest possible compensation for the damages that you have suffered.
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