Government Agencies Issue Ground Turkey Alert

By Nancy K. Crevier

Both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) issued public health alerts this past week, warning people of an ongoing, multi-state outbreak of salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to the eating of ground turkey.

A total of 77 people have been reported from 26 states between March 1 and August 1, infected with salmonella Heidelberg, including two in New York state, one in Massachusetts, and five in Pennsylvania. One death has been reported, although the CDC has not released information on where the person became sick, or details on the death. Illnesses that occurred after July 5 may not yet be reported, according to the CDC, as it takes time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This is on average, two to three weeks.

People infected with this strain of salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, 12 to 72 hours after infection, said a report issued August 1. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most persons recover without treatment. Severe diarrhea may require hospitalization. “Older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness from salmonella infection,” according to the CDC.

Tuesday, August 2, the Associated Press reported that the government is still investigating the source of the infected ground turkey. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection spokesman Brian Mabry said that the USDA-FSIS “has not linked these illnesses to a particular brand, product, or establishment, and therefore has not issued a recall.” It is up to the USDA to issue a recall. So far, the department has only issued an alert telling consumers to properly cook any turkey to decrease chances of salmonella poisoning. No further warnings have been issued about the source of the infected meat.

The CDC also is not telling people to avoid eating ground turkey meat, but urges proper cooking methods.

Newtown Health Director Donna Culbert said Connecticut health officials have no current cases on file related to this outbreak as of noon, August 2, and she does not expect the state to issue a heightened warning, until there are proven cases logged in Connecticut. Ms Culbert said her department is continuing to promote proper food handling, serving, and storage practices to minimize the likelihood of anyone contracting a food-borne illness.

The government has advised safe handling and cooking methods that include:

 Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours of purchase, one hour if home temperatures exceed 90 degrees.

Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours of cooking.

Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry.

Kitchen work surfaces and utensils should be washed immediately after coming in contact with raw meat or poultry, including frozen, fresh ground turkey. Disinfect the food contact surfaces using a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water.

Ground turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured with a food thermometer, and leftovers should be reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Do not rely on package instructions for cooking time per side. A food thermometer is essential.

The color of cooked poultry cannot be a sure sign of the proper internal temperature. Turkey can remain pink even when safely cooked to 165 degrees.

The CDC reports that 50 million Americans each year suffer from food poisoning, with about 3,000 people dying from it. Most of the cases involve a salmonella infection.

For more information on salmonella in ground turkey, visit CDC.gov. The FSIS fact sheet on safe food handling can be found at fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/how_temperatures_affect_food/index.asp.