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May 15, 2007 11:59 pm US/Central
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Family Fights For Food Safety After E. Coli Death
by Bridgette Bornstein
(WCCO)
So far no deaths have been reported in the E. coli outbreak involving ground beef at some Twin Cities grocery stores.
However, spinach that was tainted with E. coli was deadly last year and the first victim was a woman from Manitowoc, Wis.
'"She thoroughly believed that she had many, many years to go, and I don't think she really thought that this was gonna do her in," said the victim's daughter-in-law Dale Graff.
It's been a little more than eight months since 77-year-old Marion Graff died and now her family is speaking out about this woman who suffered because of E. coli.
"My mother was a very loving person. I miss her very much," said the victim's son Russell Graff.
The grief is still so overwhelming for Russell Graff. He knows his mother suffered so much before she died and it's still so hard to believe she's gone.
"It's hard not to pick up the phone and call her and say 'Mom, how you doing today,'" said Russell.
Marion was independent, active and a social butterfly. Her favorite thing to do was play with her grandchildren. Her family said she had the energy of a young person and was very careful about what she ate.
"She was a health nut," said Russell.
"I thought it was really strange to think that a woman that ate so healthy and kept herself so healthy and young, and that a healthy thing is the one that did her in," said Dale.
Marion was on a seniors' bus trip in the Twin Cities last summer when she became seriously ill. Once back home, the symptoms got so bad, she ended up in the emergency room.
"That's really the hard thing for all of us is the fact it went so fast and it was over with," said Dale.
"She was in pain, she was in a lot of pain," said Russell.
Marion suffered kidney failure and died in the hospital. It appears the tainted spinach had come from a salad bar at her local grocery store.
"The pain that is produced by something like this is just off the charts," said Minneapolis attorney Fred Pritzker, who represents the Graff family.
Pritzker wants safety improvements in the food industry.
"We have the technology, we have the understanding to make this a lot safer but yet no one has the will to do it," he said.
Marion's family hopes that will save others from the pain they've endured.
'We don't want another family to have to suffer," said Dale.
Dole sold the bagged spinach linked to the outbreak. The company said it sympathizes with affected families and makes food safety its number one priority.
The Food and Drug Administration did come up with new guidelines for produce sellers since last year's E. coli outbreak but stronger food safety standards are still in the works.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)