NDA NEWS
SPARKS, Nev. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert due to concerns that illness caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with raw chicken products produced by Foster Farms at three facilities in California.
Although the products were mainly distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington, Nevada has eight reported cases of illness, according to the USDA.
“This issue has had a limited impact on our state compared to others because product distribution was minimal,” said Dr. Michael Greenlee, state veterinarian for the Nevada Department of Agriculture. “However, the public should be reminded that the most effective way to prevent illness from all chicken products is to handle them properly and to follow package directions when cooking to ensure the poultry reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.”
At this point in the investigation, FSIS is unable to link the illnesses to a specific product and a specific production period. Raw products from the facilities in question bear one of the establishment numbers inside a USDA mark of inspection or elsewhere on the package:
“P6137”
“P6137A”
“P7632”
This public health alert was issued by the USDA after an estimated 278 illnesses were recently reported in 18 states, predominantly in California. The investigations indicate that consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken and other brand chicken produced at Foster Farms plants are the likely source of the Salmonella outbreak.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
