Large multi-state salmonella outbreak due to contaminated ground turkey meat results in 1 death and 77 cases

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert regarding ground turkey meat contaminated by salmonella bacteria. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 77 illnesses reported in 26 states. There has been 1 death so far. Preliminary results of an investigation showed that three contaminated samples have been linked to the same production establishment, but the retailers or the manufacturers have not been named publicly.

Travellers who may purchase ground turkey meat should follow package cooking instructions carefully for frozen or fresh ground turkey products. While cooking instructions may give a specific number of minutes of cooking for each side of the turkey meat patty in order to attain 165 °F internal temperature, consumers should be aware that actual time may vary depending on the cooking method (broiling, frying, or grilling) and the temperature of the product (chilled versus frozen) so it is important that the final temperature of 165 °F be reached for safety. Ground turkey and ground turkey dishes should always be cooked to 165 °F internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer.