Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared more information on an ongoing Salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated charcuterie products. The 11,000 pounds of meat were recalled by New Jersey meat processor Fratelli Beretta USA earlier this week.
Twenty-four cases in 14 states have been identified, with 5 hospitalizations. No fatalities have been reported in this outbreak. Of interviews with 11 sick patients, 6 reported eating a variety of charcuterie products, and of 3 who recalled a specific brand, all reported eating the brand subject to the recall. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria from sick people suggests that the samples are closely related, adding evidence that the they were sickened by the same food.
Check your fridge for recalled products. Do not eat them.
Earlier this week, Salmonella was identified in an unopened sample of "Busseto Foods Charcuterie Sampler Prosciutto, Sweet Soppressata, and Dry Coppa," collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as a part of the investigation after one Minnesotan fell ill in December. The CDC said tests on the Minnesota product sample yielded Salmonella I 4:I:- and that sequencing is underway to determine if the strain matches the one from sick patients. So far, it's not clear which component of the sampler was contaminated.
The sampler was sold at Sam's Club stores in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas, and has a sell-by date of April 27, 2024. Eleven illnesses have been identified in Ohio, with other states reporting only a single case.
"Check your fridge for recalled products. Do not eat them. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them," the CDC said.