Ground Turkey Outbreak Leads to One of the Largest Meat Recalls Ever

Cargill ground turkey is sold under some different product names, so, if you have any ground turkey in your fridge or freezer, go to the Cargill link to find out which of its products are affected and what to do if you have one of these recalled products.  So far, Cargill does not know the source of the contamination in its plant, but investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, the company has suspended production of ground turkey products in its Springdale, Arkansas plant.  Cargill owns 4 turkey processing facilities in the U.S., but the other 3 are not involved in this recall. 

Here’s the timeline of this outbreak and recall. The first sickness occurred in March, and the first signs of an outbreak appeared in May.  It wasn’t until two months later that investigation linked the outbreak to ground turkey in general and then to Cargill’s ground turkey. On July 29, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert about the consumption of ground turkey in general.  On August 3, Cargill announced the massive recall.

Why did it take so long to get to the recall? Deseret News explains it this way: “Part of the difficulty for investigators is that USDA rules make it harder to investigate and recall salmonella-tainted poultry. Because salmonella is so common in poultry [10-15% of ground turkey is typically contaminated with it], it is not illegal for meat to be tainted with the pathogen. General guidance to consumers is to cook ground turkey to 165 degrees and to handle it properly before it is cooked. If it is cooked and handled properly, it is safe.”

Salmonella Heidelberg is a serious matter because, says the Center for Disease Control, it’s a strain that’s resistant to many antibiotics.  Most people infected with salmonellosis (one of the most common bacterial food-borne illnesses) recover without antibiotics within a week.  However, the infection can be life-threatening for those with weak immune systems for example, (infants, the elderly, persons with HIV infection, and those undergoing chemotherapy).  The most common symptoms of salmonellosis-- diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever--develop within 8-24 hours.  Additional symptoms may be chills headache, nausea, and vomiting.

Now, why discard the food if cooking kills the germ?  Obviously, some consumers are either undercooking the ground turkey or cross-contaminating (allowing the uncooked food or its drippings to come in contact with other food that is eaten raw; inadequately cleaning countertops, dishes or kitchen utensils; or not washing their hands well after handling the raw product and then touching other foods). 

Safety recommendations when cooking ground turkey (based upon FSIS instructions and other reliable Shelf Life Advice sources):

- Don’t try to determine whether patties, loaves, or casseroles made with ground turkey are done by color.  Turkey can remain pink even after being cooked to a safe internal temperature. Smoked turkey is always pink.

- Don’t assume that the food is done just because you’ve cooked it to the time suggested in the recipe or on the container.  Those times are merely estimates. The type of cooking (broiling, baking, etc.) can affect the length of time needed to reach doneness.

- Dishes made with ground turkey should always be cooked to at least 165°F, That should be the internal temperature.  How do you find out what that temperature is?  You need a food thermometer.  For patties, a digital thermometer works best because the tip doesn’t need to go in very far to give an accurate reading.  To take the temperature of a patty, insert the thermometer tip horizontally.

For more information on food thermometers, click on these links on this site:

http://shelflifeadvice.com/content/foodmeat-thermometers—what-you-need-know

Source(s):

nytimes.com “Cargill Recalls Ground Turkey Linked to Outbreak”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/business/cargill-recalls-ground-turkey-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak.html

usda “FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Frozen, Fresh Ground Turkey Products”

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_072911_01/index.asp

deseretnews.com “Ground turkey recall: Why did it take so long?”

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700168446/Ground-turkey-recall-Why-did-it-take-so-long.html

Cargill.com “Cargill initiates voluntary ground turkey recall”

http://www.cargill.com/news-center/news-releases/2011/NA3047807.jsp