WASHINGTON – Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales Inc., a subsidiary of Austin, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods Corp., recalled 164,210 lbs. of raw ground turkey products suspected of being contaminated with Salmonella Reading, according to a Dec. 21 announcement by the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The incident is linked to a Nov. 15 recall involving the same type of contamination and an investigation by public health officials into a widespread outbreak that includes 216 cases in 38 states and has resulted in one death in California and 84 hospitalizations. In Canada, public health officials reported 22 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illnesses across four provinces. One individual died, and five people were hospitalized.
The latest recall includes product produced by the Jennie-O Turkey Store plant in Faribault, Minnesota. No single common supplier of raw turkey has been identified by investigators, which includes officials with the FSIS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Public Health agency of Canada, which has identified patients with the same DNA fingerprint of the pathogen in that country. According to a statement from the CDC, “The outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading is present in live turkeys and in many types of raw turkey products, indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry. CDC and USDA-FSIS have shared this information with representatives from the turkey industry and asked about steps that they may be taking to reduce Salmonella contamination.”
The products bear establishment number “EST. P-579” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were distributed to retail locations nationwide.
The items included in the Dec. 21 recall were produced on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 and the following products are implicated:
3-lb. packages of “Jennie-O GROUND TURKEY 93% LEAN | 7% FAT” with “Use or freeze by” dates of 11/12/18 and 11/13/18 on the side of the trays.
1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O GROUND TURKEY 93% LEAN | 7% FAT” with “Use or freeze by” dates of 11/12/18 on the side of the trays.
1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O TACO SEASONED GROUND TURKEY” with “Use or freeze by” dates of 11/12/18 on the side of the trays.
1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O ITALIAN SEASONED GROUND TURKEY” with “Use or freeze by” dates of 11/12/18 on the side of the trays.
3-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 85% LEAN | 15% FAT” with a “Use or freeze by” date of 11/13/18 on the side of the trays.
2.5-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 93% LEAN | 7% FAT” with a “Use or freeze by” date of 11/13/18 on the side of the trays.
3-lb. packages of “STATER BROS. 85% LEAN | 15% FAT ALL NATURAL Ground Turkey” with a “Use or freeze by” date of 11/12/18 on the side of the trays.