WASHINGTON — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a food safety alert for a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to charcuterie meat that was recalled this week.
According to the CDC, there have been 24 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella across 14 states. Five of those individuals had to be hospitalized.
Of the 11 people interview by public health officials, 6 reported eating ready-to-eat charcuterie meat in the days before they got sick, the CDC said Friday. Three people told officials they had either purchased or remembered eating “Busseto Foods Charcuterie Sampler Prosciutto, Sweet Soppressata, and Dry Coppa.”
On Wednesday, Busseto Foods recalled 18-oz. plastic tray packages of that charcuterie sampler sold at Sam's Club. The recall currently covers lot code L075330300 and has “BEST IF USED BY APR 27 24” printed on the packaging.
The recalled charcuterie sampler was sold at Sam's Club warehouses in 27 states. A full list of locations is posted here on the company's website.
The CDC said Friday that a Minnesota resident reported getting sick in December after eating one 9-oz. tray from the 18-oz. package of the "Busseto Foods Charcuterie Sampler." On Dec. 27, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture collected and tested a sample of the unopened 9-oz. tray from that person’s home and it tested positive for Salmonella. They are still working to determine if the Salmonella in the sample is the outbreak strain.
The CDC stated Friday that investigators are working to determine which meat product was contaminated and identify any other products that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
According to the CDC, 11 of the 24 Salmonella cases identified so far were Ohio residents. There has been one case each in 13 other states including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The first illness linked to this outbreak occurred on Nov. 20, CDC data shows.
The federal health agency warned that the true number of sick people is likely much higher than reported, because many recover without medical care and are never tested.
Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within six hour to six days after consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. Illnesses typically last four to seven days. Vulnerable people, including children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems may develop severe illnesses that require medical care or hospitalization.