Elex Scheels, the mother of 20-month-old triplets, two of whom were sickened with Salmonella Wandsworth in the Veggie Booty outbreak, was cited as saying she is disappointed with Veggie Booty’s owner, Robert Ehrlich, president of Robert’s American Gourmet.

"If this man reached out and said ‘Oh, my gosh, this is horrifying, I’m so sorry. I will do everything in my power to make sure this won’t happen again,’ this lawsuit wouldn’t be happening."

Bill Marler yesterday filed a second lawsuit against Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc. in Albany County Supreme Court in New York.

“Robert’s has indicated that an ingredient from a Chinese supplier was the source of this outbreak. After recent scares involving food products imported from China, one would think that American food manufacturers using imported ingredients would take extra precautions and institute a testing regimen to ensure the safety of their products.”

Robert’s American Gourmet Foods initiated a recall of its Veggie Booty on June 28, after the company was notified that the product was the source of a Salmonella outbreak.  The company expanded its recall to include Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks on July 2.  On July 11, the CDC announced that 60 persons in 19 states had been confirmed ill with Salmonella Wandsworth infections, with initial illness onset dates between March 4 and June 15.  Ninety percent of cases were children aged 10 months to three years. 

“This case is very perplexing,” Marler added.  “There are several unanswered questions that beg answers.”  Questions Marler seeks answers to include:

1. If Robert’s American Gourmet only markets Veggie Booty, etc., and Atlantic Quality Spice & Seasoning provides the spices, who manufacturers the product, and where?

2. The Minnesota Department of Health isolated Salmonella Typhimurium from unopened bags of Veggie Booty.  Have other strains of Salmonella (in addition to Wandsworth) been found in either human stool or product samples – like Salmonella Typhimurium?

3. Why has Robert’s American Gourmet not offered to help the victims?  Medical bills and wage losses are mounting.