Chicken Salad to Blame for Multistate Salmonella Outbreak
Late last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a notice regarding a new multistate outbreak involving ready-to-eat deli products sold at an upper midwest grocery store chain. CDC, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections in 5 states.
Based on epidemiologic and laboratory testing, the likely source of the contaminated chicken salads is Iowa-based Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc., who issued a recall of all their chicken salad products on February 21. At least 65 people have become ill, and 28 of them have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
CDC is advising consumers to throw away or return packages of chicken salad sold at Fareway grocery stores. The chicken salad containers of various weights were sold at Fareway locations in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota between January 4 and February 9. Consumers are encouraged to stop eating these products even if they have no obvious symptoms of foodborne illness. Consumers are also being advised to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces that may have had direct contact with the chicken salad and its packaging.
The investigation is ongoing and CDC will continue to provide updates as they become available.
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