The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service, an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, has issued a public health alert for approximately 211,406 pounds of raw ground turkey products produced by Plainville Brands, LLC that were shipped nationwide. The agency says the products may cause Salmonella Hadar illness.
FSIS did not request a recall because it said it does not believe the products are still being sold in supermarkets. They’re concerned instead that consumers who purchased the potentially tainted products between late December and early March may have them in their freezers.
Here is the identifying label information you should look for:
1-lb. packages of Nature’s Promise Free from 94% LEAN | 6% FAT Ground Turkey with Use by/freeze/sell by date of 1/1/21, 1/3/21,1/4/21, 1/8/21 and 1/10/21 on the front of the package.
1-lb. packages of Wegman 94% LEAN | 6% FAT Ground Turkey with Use by/freeze/sell by date of 1/3/21, 1/4/21, 1/8/21 and 1/10/21 on the front of the package.
3-lb. packages of Wegman 94% LEAN | 6% FAT Ground Turkey with Use by/freeze/sell by date of 1/3/21, 1/4/21, 1/8/21 and 1/10/21 on the front of the package.
1-lb. packages of Plainville Farms Ground White Turkey 93% | 7% Fat with Use by/freeze/sell by date of 1/10/21 on the front of the package.
The products were marked with the establishment number EST. P-244 inside the USDA mark of inspection. FSIS says they should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase. Nature’s Promise is a Hannaford store brand with products sold at Food Lion, Giant Food, Giant/Martin’s, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop stores.
Linked to salmonella outbreak
The products have been linked to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Hadar illness earlier this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 28 cases of the illness in 12 states.
Health investigators say their traceback investigation found at least one patient consumed ground turkey produced by Plainville Brands. They say an unopened package of Plainville Brands’ ground turkey collected from the patient’s home tested positive for Salmonella Hadar bacteria and was closely related genetically to the sample from the patient.
Based on the continuing investigation, additional products from other meat processors may be involved in the outbreak, FSIS said.
Most people infected with salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.