Featured Outbreak
Daniele International Salame/Salami - Salmonella Outbreak - Nationwide
Rhode Island based Daniele International Inc., is recalling approximately 1,240,000 pounds of ready-to-eat varieties of Italian sausage products, (including salami/salame) because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall was issued as a Class I, meaning that the health risk is high. Two additional recalls have raised the total recall amount to 1,395,989 pounds of tainted product. Investigations have focused on red and black pepper used in the meat products.
On February 25, Wholesome spice recalled all of the 25 pound lots of crushed red pepper produced between 4/6/09 and 1/20/10.
On January 26, Daniele confirmed that pepper samples tested positive for Salmonella, and that they have switched to pasteurized spices.
On January 29, 2010 Wholesome Spice was named as the likely source of the outbreak.
As of January 31, Daniele Inc. has expanded the recall to include 17,235 pounds of Italian sausage products.
On February 16, Daniele Inc. again expands their recall to include 115,000 pounds of potentially tainted salami.
USDA expanded recalled product list.
FSIS updated list of implicated retail locations
According to the CDC, as of March 2, 2010, a total of 245 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo, which displays either of two closely related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns, have been reported from 44 states and District of Columbia since July 1, 2009. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is as follows: AK (2), AL (2), AZ (7), CA (30), CO (5), CT (5), DC (1), DE (3), FL (3), GA (3), IA (1), ID (4), IL (19), IN (4), KS (5), LA (1), MA (14), MD (1), ME (1), MI (4), MN (6), MO (2), MS (1), NC (11), ND (1), NE (3), NH (2), NJ (9), NM (2), NY (18), OH (9), OK (1), OR (9), PA (7), RI (2), SC (1), SD (3), TN (5), TX (7), UT (9), VA (1), WA (17), WI (1), WV (1), and WY (2). Because this is a commonly occurring strain, public health investigators may determine that some of the illnesses are not part of this outbreak. The CDC has posted information about the multi-state outbreak on its website (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella) but the investigation is ongoing, and multiple vehicles may be involved.
The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with state health and agriculture departments were investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo illnesses when a sample of Daniele product was tested and found to contain Salmonella,. The FSIS has a zero tolerance for in Ready-to-eat (RTE) products. The product tested was similar to products bought by customers who later became sick in the Montevideo investigation, but currently there is not a direct link. The Salmonella strain in the tested product does not appear to be the Montevideo strain of interest and further testing of the sample is ongoing. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.