185,000 Pounds of Ground Turkey Recalled Due to Salmonella

By Staff Writer

As the nation remembered the harrowing events of Sept. 11, 2001, a recall for 185,000 pounds of ground turkey produced by Cargill was issued by the U.S. Food Safety & Inspection Service.

Issuing the Class I recall on Sunday, the food inspection agency claims the turkey contains Salmonella Heidelberg, the same strain that prompted a similar recall in August. The recall affects fresh ground turkey sold nationwide, including Kroger stores here in Tennessee.

All of the products under this recall were produced at Cargill’s plant in Springdale, Arkansas. The original recall issued on August 3^rd for an astounding 36 million pounds of ground turkey halted production at the plant for two weeks. State and federal health inspectors tracked the source of a salmonella outbreak to meat produced at the plant.

But after only a few weeks back online, the plant is once again under fire.

The latest recall is for ground turkey produced at the plant on August 23-24 and August 30-31. Considering the same type of salmonella bacteria is still in the meat, the source of the contamination is either at the Springdale plant or somewhere in the chain of production.

While there haven’t been any illnesses associated with this latest recall, at least 107 illnesses and one death were reported in connection with the original recall.  As of this writing, two lawsuits – one by a man in Arizona and another from a toddler’s parents in Oregon – have been filed against Cargill.

Affected products will have an establishment number of P-963 inside the packaging’s USDA mark of inspection. Specific products will have use or freeze by dates ranging from 9/11/2011 through 9/21/2011. Products specifically sold at Kroger stores include:

• 48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15 with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/17/2011, 09/18/2011 and 09/19/2011
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15 with a Use or Freeze by Date of 09/17/2011

A Class I product recall is the highest level issued by the FSIS and means there’s a reasonable chance of illness and maybe even death, especially in young children and the elderly.

Any questions regarding this recall should be directed toward Cargill consumer relations hotline at (888) 812-1646.

Prevention is your best protection against salmonella and other food-borne illnesses. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat. And cook ground turkey and beef to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you’ve purchased one of the products affected by this recall, return it to the store for a full refund. And if you or a loved one fallen ill due to contaminated products like this, you may be entitled to legal compensation. Contact defective product attorneys at Gilreath Law in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis today for a free consultation.

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