Major Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Chicken

raw chicken

Update on Foster Farm Tainted Chicken Outbreak,  10/14/13

 

The number of foodborne illnesses has now climbed to 320 people in 20 states. 

 

On October 12, the USDA announced the first recall related to this product.  Costco's El Camino Real store in  South San Francisco has withdrawn 9, 043 units (about 39, 755 lbs.) of rotisserie chicken products because the may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Heidelberg.  The specific products subjected to this recall are the following:

 

8730 Kirkland Signature Foster Farms rotisserie chickens

 

313 total units of Kirkland rotisserie chicken soups, leg quarters, and chicken salad

 

These products were sold to consumers between September 11-23, 2013.

 

Costco has taken steps to contact all customers who purchased the possibly tainted products.  For further information,  consumers can call Costco at 800-774-2678. 

 

Original Story posted 10/9/2013: 


Despite the partial government shutdown, on October 7, the USDA and the FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) were able to issue a public service alert to warn the public about a major food-borne illness outbreak caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg in chicken.  An estimated 278 illnesses (and the number is expected to increase) have been reported recently in 18 states, with most cases in California.

 

Answers and questions:

 

According to the USDA alert, consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken as well as other brand chicken produced at Foster Farms plants are the "likely source" of this outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections. Illnesses were linked to Foster Farms brand chicken through investigations conducted by local, state, and federal officials. 

 

Foster Farms has three facilities in California. The investigation has not thus far led to a recall because FSIS has not been able to link the illnesses to specific products or specific production periods.  However, raw products from the facilities in question bear one of these establishment numbers inside a USDA mark of inspection or elsewhere on the package:

  • “P6137”
  • “P6137A”
  • “P7632”

 

Consumers should not consume products with those codes.

 

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is working with state health departments to monitor the outbreak.  FSIS is also continuing to investigate.  However, according to an article (by Maryn McKenna) on Wired.com, the partial shutdown will probably hamper the investigation of this outbreak.  What specific products have been contaminated?  What caused the contamination?  Which salmonella-caused illnesses are related to Foster Farms and which are not?  The answers may be slow in coming.  According to McKenna, "Lab work and molecular detection that can link far-apart cases and define the size and seriousness of outbreaks are not happening. At the CDC, which operates the national foodborne-detection services FoodNet and PulseNet, scientists couldn’t work on this if they wanted to; they have been locked out of their offices, lab and emails." However, USA Today reported (on October 8) that the CDC has brought some workers back from furlough because of this outbreak.

 

USA Today notes that, in 2012, an outbreak of the same strain of salmonella was linked to Foster Farms chicken in Oregon and Washington.

 

The symptoms of an infection caused by salmonella are diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps beginning 12-72 hours after eating contaminated food.  Symptoms usually last 4-7 days.  In general, most people recover without medical treatment.  However, another USA Today article (on Oct. 8) revealed that this outbreak has doubled the hospitalization rate for infections caused by salmonella.  Here's why, the newspaper explains: "The salmonella outbreak linked to raw chicken from California involves multiple antibiotic-resistant strains and has a very high hospitalization rate of 42%, a food safety advocate who was briefed by government officials said Tuesday."

 

"There are seven strains involved in this outbreak," and many of them are antibiotic resistant, said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington.  Nevertheless, no deaths have been reported due to this outbreak.

 

Advice for consumers:

 

Some reminders from the FSIS:

 

 

  • Follow package cooking instructions when handling fresh or frozen chicken products.
  • Cook chicken to 165°F to be sure that pathogens such as salmonella are killed.
  • Use a food thermometer to determine if chicken is sufficiently cooked.

 

 

Furthermore, food scientists are now recommending that consumers NOT RINSE chicken before preparing to cook it. If raw chicken is contaminated, rinsing it off just spreads pathogens around the sink and perhaps the counter, where they could reach other foods that are not cooked before being consumed.  The pathogens in the chicken will be killed by cooking to 165°F.

 

To read more about proper handling of chicken, click on "Stop! Don't Rinse That Raw Chicken!"

 

 

Source(s):

 

fsis.usda.gov  "California Wholesale Store Recalls Rotisserie Chicken Products Due to Possible Salmonella Heidelberg Contamination"

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2013/recall-058-2013-release

 

fsis.usda.gov "FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Chicken Products Produced at Three Foster Farms Facilities"

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-and-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2013/pha-100713

 

wired.com "There's a Major Foodborne Illness Outbreak and the Government's Shut Down"

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/shutdown-salmonella/

 

usatoday.com "New salmonella outbreak in chicken resists antibiotics"

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/08/salmonella-chicken-outbreak/2941783/

 

news.cincinnati.com/usatoday/ "Salmonella outbreak in 18 states linked to raw chicken"

http://news.cincinnati.com/usatoday/article/2941783?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|nation

 

 
 

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