Cargill Turkey Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Temporary Shutdown of Plant
Plant conditions are under investigation at Cargill, where ground turkey is linked to a Salmonella death and a 26-state outbreak of illnesses. The multinational food giant, based in Minnesota, shut down its Springdale, Arkansas, plant after USDA and CDC linked it to the outbreak. Cases are widespread but these states were hit hardest: Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania.
USDA said 79 people are considered case patients in the outbreak and that number could grow because contaminated product may still be in consumers' freezers. Kroger and Safeway are among the retail chains that sold the meat, but a comprehensive list of where the products were sold has not yet been released.
National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., which is based near Cargill's worldwide headquarters, is in contact with victims of this outbreak as it prepares for a possible turkey Salmonella lawsuit. Families and individuals sickened by this release of contamination into the food supply can discuss their legal options with a Salmonella lawyer at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by submitting basic contact information. Our firm has taken on Cargill in the past and won and we have collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for food poisoning victims from all over the country.
Salmonellosis is not to be taken lightly. Infection by this pathogen can lead to chronic health conditions that are serious in nature for years following initial illness. Food poisoning in the U.S. is preventable and holding mega-producers accountable for selling food that makes people sick is necessary to keep the system in check.
Honeysuckle White and other brands of ground turkey from the plant were sold nationwide for months. Cargill admits in a news release that these products may have been contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg, a strain that is resistant to some commonly prescribed antibiotics. Certainly, much of the meat already has been consumed, but USDA announced that Cargill is now recalling 36 million pounds of ground turkey products made at the Arkansas plant since February 20.
Salmonella, like other pathogens, harbors in the intestines of turkeys, chickens and other live animals and is spread via fecal matter or when stomach contents are spread onto meat during slaughtering. Cargill operates three other turkey plants that won't be shut down during the Arkansas inspection and investigation. USDA said it is continuing to investigate. Click here for a complete listing of the Cargill turkey recall.
