Ham, Pork Recall as Nationwide Warning Issued Over Salmonella Illness

A nationwide warning of salmonella has caused a range of cured meats to be recalled over fears they are contaminated, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Monday.

The FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health officials to investigate a multistate outbreak of salmonella. On Monday, Fratelli Beretta, also known as Busseto Foods, recalled an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat meat charcuterie products containing Coppa that may be under-processed, which may have resulted in possible contamination with foodborne pathogens.

Consuming food that has been contaminated with salmonella can lead to salmonellosis, one of the most prevalent bacterial foodborne infections. Symptoms typically include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever emerging within six hours to six days following the consumption of the tainted food, according to the FSIS.

The affected products come in a variety of size packages including 18 oz, 16 oz, 15 oz, 12oz, 6oz, 4oz and 3oz. The potentially contaminated products were shipped to distributor and retail locations nationwide including stores such as Publix, Aldi, Sam's Club, and Costco. The FSIS has instructed anyone who has purchased the affected product to either throw it away or return it to the point of purchase.

Newsweek has reached out to FSIS and Busseto Foods via email for comment.

In addition, affected batches can be identified with the establishment number "EST. M47967 or M7543B" inside the USDA mark of inspection or in inkjet print on the front of the package.

Although FSIS determined that the recalled products may be under-processed, the agency is conducting further testing to determine if the product sample that tested positive for Salmonella is related to the outbreak.

The majority of individuals recover from salmonella illness after several days without the need for treatment. However, those at higher risk of experiencing severe illness include older adults, infants, and individuals with weakened immune systems. If individuals are concerned about potential illness, the FSIS advises them to reach out to their healthcare provider.

In addition, the CDC has warned while the investigation is ongoing, to not eat the affected products and wash surfaces and containers that may have touched these products using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

This is not the first time Fratelli Beretta has recalled their products in connection with salmonella. In January, the company initiated a recall of more than 11,000 pounds of meat after the salmonella outbreak was traced to one of their ready-to-eat products, Busseto Foods' Charcuterie Sampler, which is sold at 323 Sam's Clubs in 27 states, Sam's officials said in an online statement. Illnesses were been reported in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.