A salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least two dozen people across 14 states has been linked to charcuterie trays sold at hundreds of Sam's Club stores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Fratelli Beretta USA, also known as Busseto Foods, has 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.
Officials with the members-only warehouse chain that sells bulk grocery items, electronics and household goods said that as soon as they were notified of possible contamination, they "immediately instructed all our clubs" to remove the samplers, which contained prosciutto, sweet sopressata and dry coppa.
The Busseto Charcuterie Sampler is sold at Sam's Club as a twin pack with two 9-ounce packages that contain lot code L075330300 and a best-by date of April 27, 2024. The recalled meats also include the establishment number "EST. 7543B" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The contaminated charcuterie samplers were produced on October 30, 2023, and shipped to Sam's Club distribution centers in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the CDC.
Illnesses have been reported in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. As of Monday night, each state listed reported one case of illness except for Ohio, which has reported 11 cases, according to the CDC, which noted that the number of sick across the U.S. is likely "much higher." Cases often go unreported because people don't get tested for the foodborne illness, especially since many people recover at home, the agency said.
The ages of the 24 people with reported infections range from 16 to 91 years old, the CDC said. There have been no deaths.
Newsweek reached out via email on Monday to representatives for the CDC and Sam's Club for comment.
On January 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the CDC and state public health officials announced that they were investigating a salmonella outbreak. Officials with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture alerted federal authorities after an unopened, intact, charcuterie sampler tested positive for a strain of the foodborne illness.
"Further traceback of the charcuterie meat used to produce the recalled products is ongoing," FSIS officials said in an online statement.
Newsweek reached out via email to FSIS on Monday for comment.
Marco Lastrico, spokesperson for Busseto Foods, told Newsweek in an email on Monday night that the recalled products are sold only at Sam's Club.
Lastrico said at the time of publication that the company did not have "any additional comments to add beyond the information provided in the FSIS recall notice. The company is fully cooperating with the authorities on this matter."
Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, which can cause symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within six hours to six days after eating the item, FSIS said in the recall alert. The illness usually lasts between four and seven days. While most people recover without needing treatment, some can experience such severe diarrhea that they require hospitalization. Older adults, infants, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness, health officials warned.
"FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers' refrigerators," the federal health agency said. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."
Shoppers who believe they have purchased the affected charcuterie product can return the item to their local store for a full refund, Sam's Club officials said.
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Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
