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Blood found in yogurt container, after eating some (blood)

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John Drew 47

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

California state:

I purchased a large container of yogurt while shopping. After returning home, I'd already eaten part of the yogurt, when I noticed there was red blood, splattered within the container, on the top of the yogurt. The blood had been sealed inside, at the yogurt factory. (First, I checked to make sure that I was not bleeding, and I was not.)

I saved the remaining "blood sample" (the part I hadn't already eaten), together with the yogurt container, and its dated/numbered seal, and the sales receipt.

Do I need to wait until I am "harmed" before I have "legal standing" to initiate "viable" legal proceedings? ... ( Such as, already be suffering from "medically diagnosed", active hepatitis, or active AIDS, etc. ?)

How to arrange for DNA testing on this bloody yogurt sample?

( Hopefully, a DNA test could eventually prove the blood is that of a yogurt factory employee, or contractor -- because the date and hour of manufacture are recorded on the packaging, to narrow down the suspect's list.)

Note: -- I'm in California, but the yogurt factory is in a different state. Does that make this a "Federal case"? ... Should I contact the FDA?

*************
 


sandyclaus

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

California state:

I purchased a large container of yogurt while shopping. After returning home, I'd already eaten part of the yogurt, when I noticed there was red blood, splattered within the container, on the top of the yogurt. The blood had been sealed inside, at the yogurt factory. (First, I checked to make sure that I was not bleeding, and I was not.)

I saved the remaining "blood sample" (the part I hadn't already eaten), together with the yogurt container, and its dated/numbered seal, and the sales receipt.

Do I need to wait until I am "harmed" before I have "legal standing" to initiate "viable" legal proceedings? ... ( Such as, already be suffering from "medically diagnosed", active hepatitis, or active AIDS, etc. ?)

How to arrange for DNA testing on this bloody yogurt sample?

( Hopefully, a DNA test could eventually prove the blood is that of a yogurt factory employee, or contractor -- because the date and hour of manufacture are recorded on the packaging, to narrow down the suspect's list.)

Note: -- I'm in California, but the yogurt factory is in a different state. Does that make this a "Federal case"? ... Should I contact the FDA?

*************
How do you know that this was blood and not something else? (Maybe food dye or ink from the printing?)
What flavor yogurt was this? (There is a reason why I'm asking.)

Have you actually taken the "bloody" yogurt and yourself to a doctor to be examined, and determined that you have indeed been exposed to a blood-borne disease?

You seem to be going on a lot of assumptions, and until you have solid answers and facts to go on, then you really have no case.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
" ( Such as, already be suffering from "medically diagnosed", active hepatitis, or active AIDS, etc. ?)"

Even assuming this was blood (as opposed to fruit juice/fruit flavoring in the yogurt) AND it came from someone who is infected with either/both of these diseases, it is medically impossible to become infected with either simply from eating food containing their blood.

Gail
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
Funny; we had discussion over at WebMD as to whether vampires could become infected by drinking blood.

Course, since they're already the "undead" it's a moot issue.

Gail
 

John Drew 47

Junior Member
How do you know that this was blood and not something else? (Maybe food dye or ink from the printing?)
What flavor yogurt was this? (There is a reason why I'm asking.)

Have you actually taken the "bloody" yogurt and yourself to a doctor to be examined, and determined that you have indeed been exposed to a blood-borne disease?

You seem to be going on a lot of assumptions, and until you have solid answers and facts to go on, then you really have no case.
-------

Certainly, high-accuracy blood detection for verification of the presence or absence of human, or other blood -- is required first.. However, this test must consume only a few milligrams, at most, of the now- dehydrated "blood sample" -- which probably now weighs about ten milligrams, total.. (And the saved-sample -- still adhering to the inside of the "empty" yogurt container -- never weighed more than a few hundred milligrams, before it became naturally dehydratated.. Unfortunately, a camera was not available.) ... Consuming too much of the blood sample in the "blood detection phase", would leave too little for PCR testing (to confirm the presence of disease organisms), or for subsequent DNA analysis, etc..

This yogurt was vanilla yogurt, cream on top, thoroughly white in color... Why would the yogurt factory's filling-and-sealing-station, for this white vanilla yogurt, involve any "printing" or "food dyes", in a factory that uses only preformed and pre-labelled plastic containers? ... (The date-seal is contact-printed using only micrograms of black ink.)

One engineer suggested that "red lubricant" is used in many food processing facilities.. However, the potential "red blood sample" has now very much dehydrated (shrivelled up), and turned to a light brown color -- things that a "red lubricant" would not do in the first few years; however a blood sample would do exactly these things, in short order.

In any case, the blood detection is required, first.

"Take the sample to a doctor to be examined"? ... Please tell me, what sort of doctor is experienced with the safe and proper "forensic handling" and "forensic examination" of minuscule quantities of dried blood -- that must *not* be reduced or lost in the process? ... I've known dozens of doctors, but none to whom I'd take this type of assignment... Exactly what qualifications and associations should this doctor have?

I understand that I will need to see an infectious disease specialist M.D. to determine (as far as practical) my present medical status, and compare this to previous test results for infectious agents.. (Previous infectious disease tests were done, without my request or foreknowledge, six months ago; all results were negative then...)


*************
 

John Drew 47

Junior Member
" ( Such as, already be suffering from "medically diagnosed", active hepatitis, or active AIDS, etc. ?)"

Even assuming this was blood (as opposed to fruit juice/fruit flavoring in the yogurt) AND it came from someone who is infected with either/both of these diseases, it is medically impossible to become infected with either simply from eating food containing their blood.

Gail
And your purported "medical advice" is based upon what, exactly? ... Is it based upon your hypothesis that stomach acid would destroy any infectious agent contained in the swallowed blood?

If so, then your medical advice does not always apply.. Are you knowledgeable in the subjects of atrophic gastritis and achlorhydria? -- Many people do not produce stomach acid -- or else produce markedly subnormal amounts of it -- while most of those who have these conditions are unaware and undiagnosed.. In any case, these diagnoses definitely apply to me, beginning 25 years ago.

See this article, for example: --
"The unseen epidemic: the linked syndromes of achlorhydria and atrophic gastritis"
page 1 of 6 - http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_252/ai_n6160495/

An excerpt: -- "A summary of the data strongly suggests an incidence of atrophic gastritis of greater than 15% in adults above 25 years and greater than 30% in people older than 60."

*************
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
I would absolutely love to see the results of the testing.

Please update (you can scan in the results if you wish and link to them).
 

justalayman

Senior Member
I understand that I will need to see an infectious disease specialist M.D. to determine (as far as practical) my present medical status, and compare this to previous test results for infectious agents.. (Previous infectious disease tests were done, without my request or foreknowledge, six months ago; all results were negative then...)


*************
why would the blood dry out? After all, you claim it was sprayed upon the yogurt. It would remain hydrated due to the water in the yogurt.
Additionally, blood does not turn brown when it dries. It turns carmine.

Since you were eating this yogurt from the container, how did you not see the blood spatter when first opening the container? When taking the second, third, fourth, etc. spoonful yet saw it later. How large was the opening of the container? Since you claim to have not disturbed at least part of the surface of the yogurt, it would have had to be fairly large. That would tend to eliminate the possibility of the blood being obscured by the container when you opened it such as the small (4 oz or so) containers that have a very small opening.

It is obvious you are either responding to a question in school or undertaking a bit of dramatic writing and need to be able to explain some situation in your story. The method used to package yogurt does not allow for the situation you present. It is a pretty much "hands off" process, especially at the point which you suggest your yogurt was contaminated. You will have to come up with some scenario that would allow the contamination at the point in processing you claim this to have happened. Then you can work on the other problems in your story.

Now, if you had a group of Yakuza go into the yogurt factory and start using Samurai swords to hack people apart while the machine was running, given that one was close enough to the process from the point the container was filled and the point it was capped, you might have some spray that could land in the container. Of course you would have to explain why the dozens of containers immediately before and immediately after your package were not contaminated or nobody reported the blood along with the fact there was no blood found on the outside of the packaging but it's a start for you to fix your story.
 

Liechy

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

California state:

I purchased a large container of yogurt while shopping. After returning home, I'd already eaten part of the yogurt, when I noticed there was red blood, splattered within the container, on the top of the yogurt. The blood had been sealed inside, at the yogurt factory. (First, I checked to make sure that I was not bleeding, and I was not.)

I saved the remaining "blood sample" (the part I hadn't already eaten), together with the yogurt container, and its dated/numbered seal, and the sales receipt.

Do I need to wait until I am "harmed" before I have "legal standing" to initiate "viable" legal proceedings? ... ( Such as, already be suffering from "medically diagnosed", active hepatitis, or active AIDS, etc. ?)

How to arrange for DNA testing on this bloody yogurt sample?

( Hopefully, a DNA test could eventually prove the blood is that of a yogurt factory employee, or contractor -- because the date and hour of manufacture are recorded on the packaging, to narrow down the suspect's list.)

Note: -- I'm in California, but the yogurt factory is in a different state. Does that make this a "Federal case"? ... Should I contact the FDA?

*************
Good thing you saved it. I would try contacting a doctor or lab to test it before you jump to conclusions. Also, assuming you tasted some, are you sure it's blood?
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Good thing you saved it. I would try contacting a doctor or lab to test it before you jump to conclusions. Also, assuming you tasted some, are you sure it's blood?
What does yogurt contaminated with a minuscule amount of blood taste like?

answer: yogurt
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
I suspect it is much more likely that the yogurt was contaminated with another flavor since generally the vanilla and the strawberry are made/packaged in the same place. And if you could SEE that something was wrong when you opened the container, WHY ON EARTH would you then proceed to eat the entire containter?

At any rate, even if there WAS a blood product in the container, the acid and the organisms living in the yogurt would have made quick work of any pathogens. Even if your own stomach produces less acid than average.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
"And your purported "medical advice" is based upon what, exactly?"

Thirty five years working the medical field and fifteen years working with HIV positive patients.

"Is it based upon your hypothesis that stomach acid would destroy any infectious agent contained in the swallowed blood?"

No, it is based on the fact that in order for transmission of HIV to occur the virus must enter tissues; simply swallowing blood that contains the virus does not transmit HIV to another.

" Are you knowledgeable in the subjects of atrophic gastritis and achlorhydria"

Quite knowledgeable, although this medical condition plays no role in HIV risk transmission.

Gail
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
why would the blood dry out? After all, you claim it was sprayed upon the yogurt. It would remain hydrated due to the water in the yogurt.
Additionally, blood does not turn brown when it dries. It turns carmine.

Since you were eating this yogurt from the container, how did you not see the blood spatter when first opening the container? When taking the second, third, fourth, etc. spoonful yet saw it later. How large was the opening of the container? Since you claim to have not disturbed at least part of the surface of the yogurt, it would have had to be fairly large. That would tend to eliminate the possibility of the blood being obscured by the container when you opened it such as the small (4 oz or so) containers that have a very small opening.

It is obvious you are either responding to a question in school or undertaking a bit of dramatic writing and need to be able to explain some situation in your story. The method used to package yogurt does not allow for the situation you present. It is a pretty much "hands off" process, especially at the point which you suggest your yogurt was contaminated. You will have to come up with some scenario that would allow the contamination at the point in processing you claim this to have happened. Then you can work on the other problems in your story.

Now, if you had a group of Yakuza go into the yogurt factory and start using Samurai swords to hack people apart while the machine was running, given that one was close enough to the process from the point the container was filled and the point it was capped, you might have some spray that could land in the container. Of course you would have to explain why the dozens of containers immediately before and immediately after your package were not contaminated or nobody reported the blood along with the fact there was no blood found on the outside of the packaging but it's a start for you to fix your story.
**A: a good story line for CSI.
 

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