Pepperidge Farm has recalled four varieties of Goldfish crackers out of fears they could potentially have salmonella. (AP)
A Mississippi woman who claims she was hospitalized with salmonella after eating Goldfish crackers is now suing, seeking damages from Pepperidge Farm and its ingredient manufacturer, Associated Milk Producers, Inc.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, is thought to be the first since the company voluntarily recalled four different types of Goldfish on July 23 due to a possible salmonella contamination, according to a press release from Cory Watson Attorneys in Birmingham, Alabama, the firm that is representing the woman.
The recall was due to whey powder found in four products that had had “the potential presence of Salmonella,” Pepperidge Farm said at the time.
PEPPERIDGE FARM RECALLS GOLDFISH CRACKER VARIETIES DUE TO POSSIBLE SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION
Bailey Finch, from Columbus, Mississippi, claims that she had “no idea” that certain flavors of the snack were possibly contaminated when she ate the "Blasted Xtra Cheddar" variety on July 19, just days before the company issued the recall.
Not long after, she was treated at DCH Hospital in Tuscaloosa, for “severe stomach problems,” according to the press release, but was later taken to UAB University Hospital in Birmingham “where she underwent four days of treatment for severe complications caused by the salmonella.”
Finch, 26, was taken to UAB University Hospital with “organ failure and collapsed veins,” news station WBMA reported.
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The crackers Finch ate “were defective and unreasonably dangerous” and the “defendants should have known of the defects and the danger posed,” Finch’s lawyers argue. The suit also claims that both Pepperidge Farm and Associated Milk Producers, Inc. “failed to warn consumers of the threat posed by the crackers.”
As a result, Finch is now seeking damages for "medical expenses, mental and physical pain, emotional distress, lost wages and future medical expenses,” according to the press release.
"Salmonella kills. Pepperidge Farm failed in their duty to ensure that the food they produce is safe to eat, and as a result, our client almost lost her life," Bobby LeMoine, an attorney with Cory Watson Attorneys, said in a statement.
Fox News’ Kathleen Joyce contributed to this report.