The National Turkey Federation says its members are fully cooperating with a CDC-USDA investigation into an outbreak of salmonella poisoning that’s been linked to raw turkey products.
The industry website Meating Place Dot Com says the outbreak has affected 90 people across 26 states since last November.
The US Centers for Disease Control says the turkey came from a variety of sources. Based on laboratory testing, the CDC confirmed that it’s infected with Salmonella Reading. The strain was identified in samples of raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products, and live turkeys.
In a statement, the NTF says its members are individually reviewing their salmonella control programs in all phases of production. They’re also working as a group through the NTF to address this and all strains of salmonella.
A spokeswoman for Butterball says in a statement that, “it’s important to note that no specific product, facility, or company has been linked to the illness and that the CDC isn’t advising people to stop eating turkey products.”
A Cargill spokeswoman says the company continuously takes steps to try to control any incidence or level of all types of salmonella.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.
from National Turkey Federation
More details about the investigation can be found on the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html. Consumers looking for safe food handling information can visit www.eatturkey.com, Fight Bac! or USDA’s Meat & Poultry Hotline.