Cargill Recall of Turkey Too Late to Save One Life and Prevent over 70 Salmonella Illnesses
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On March 9, 2011, the first Salmonella Heidelberg illness was reported in an outbreak that has sickened at least 78 people and killed one. The same strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was found in a ground turkey sample purchased from a retail location in March. The contaminated ground turkey had been processed at a Cargill turkey processing plant in Arkansas. By April 11, at the latest, federal and state health officials had the evidence needed to connect Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses with Cargill ground turkey because PFGE patterns matching the outbreak strain were added to the PulseNet database beginning on April 11.
Why did it take until August 3 for Cargill to recall the ground turkey? Why did the USDA-FSIS warn consumers about ground turkey on July 29, but not mention Cargill? They knew at that time exactly where the contaminated ground turkey was coming from, yet this is what USDA-FSIS said on July 29:
CDC is partnering with state health departments to monitor the outbreak while FSIS focuses its investigation on potential identification of a contamination source(s).
People were scared of eating all ground turkey products, and all companies that processed, distributed and sold ground turkey products suffered. All USDA-FSIS had to do to prevent hysteria was let consumers know that it was Cargill ground turkey processed at the Arkansas plant that had sickened the victims of the outbreak.
Bill Tomson of The Wall Street Journal reported that the USDA-FSIS knew about the Salmonella Heidelberg contamination at the Arkansas turkey processing plant last year:
A routine USDA inspection last year of the Cargill plant in Arkansas turned up three samples contaminated with salmonella Heidelberg, the agency said. A USDA spokesman said the agency brought the findings "to the attention of the facility."
Elisabeth Hagen, the USDA's top food-safety official, told The Wall Street Journal that nothing could be done about the contamination at the time because Salmonella is not an adulterant under federal law unless the meat is linked to Salmonella illnesses.
It should not have taken almost 80 cases of Salmonella Heidelberg infection for Cargill to recall the ground turkey. Let’s hope in the future Cargill recalls products as soon as the company knows there is a potential for illness and death.
People from the following states have been sickened in the Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to Cargill ground turkey products:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California (one Californian died)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wisconsin
