There have been no clear causes for the issue at this point.
The producer, Triple T, seems to be a legitimate operation. According to their website, the company started a butcher shop over 20 years ago and has expanded into a number of different product offerings.
Des Moines Register
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/news/
Salmonella-tainted chicken salad made by Ackley plant tied to 115 illnesses
Tony Leys, tleys@dmreg.comPublished 4:32 p.m. CT
Feb. 20, 2018
Chicken salad tainted with salmonella bacteria has been linked to 115 sicknesses in Iowa, and the north-central Iowa plant that made the salad is being investigated, officials said Tuesday.
The chicken salad was sold by Fareway grocery stores, which pulled the product from shelves Feb. 9. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Tuesday that 38 Iowans had confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning related to the outbreak, and another 78 had probable cases of it. Several other illnesses were reported in neighboring states.
The state Department of Inspections and Appeals said Tuesday that the chicken salad was prepared by Triple T Specialty Meats in Ackley, which made the product solely for Fareway stores. A representative of the Ackley company said Tuesday that the plant was not currently in production, but he declined to comment further.
Salmonella bacteria are often found in uncooked or undercooked chicken products. The bacteria can cause severe diarrhea, cramps and fever. Some people become so dehydrated, they need to be hospitalized. Although most people recover within a week, symptoms can last for months. Salmonella poisoning can cause deadly sepsis infections if the bacteria are not promptly treated with antibiotics, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said about 20 Iowans have been hospitalized because of the recent salmonella outbreak. Quinlisk said she had not heard of any related deaths. She added that experts believe only about 10 percent of salmonella poisonings are reported because most people don’t become ill enough to see a doctor or to be tested for the bacteria.
David Werning, a spokesman for the inspections department, said the Iowa Department of Public Health uncovered the outbreak after noticing a spike in salmonella cases being reported. State experts interviewed patients about what they’d eaten in the previous two weeks, and they narrowed the likely culprit down to chicken salad sold by Fareway. The supermarket chain, based in Boone, acted quickly to pull the product from shelves and to help inspectors pinpoint the root of the problem, Werning said. “They’ve been very, very cooperative,” he said.
Werning said the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees chicken processing at the Ackley plant, but the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals oversees the processing of crab salad there on contract for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. State inspectors went to the plant last week and found no obvious problems, a report shows.
The Fareway chain, based in Boone, has 118 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
In a statement last week, Fareway leaders urged customers to discard any remaining chicken salad and to contact their local store for a refund. The company said it was taking the situation seriously. “This product is not produced at any Fareway location,” the company said. “At this time, based on our full cooperation with the appropriate parties, correspondence and investigation, we believe that this incident is not the result of anything done by Fareway. We also have no reason to believe this involves any other products.”
The salmonella outbreak has already spawned at least four lawsuits against Fareway.
For the rest of the article - https://www.desmoinesregister.com/news/
Chicken salad tainted with salmonella bacteria has been linked to 115 sicknesses in Iowa, and the north-central Iowa plant that made the salad is being investigated, officials said Tuesday.
The chicken salad was sold by Fareway grocery stores, which pulled the product from shelves Feb. 9. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Tuesday that 38 Iowans had confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning related to the outbreak, and another 78 had probable cases of it. Several other illnesses were reported in neighboring states.
The state Department of Inspections and Appeals said Tuesday that the chicken salad was prepared by Triple T Specialty Meats in Ackley, which made the product solely for Fareway stores. A representative of the Ackley company said Tuesday that the plant was not currently in production, but he declined to comment further.
Salmonella bacteria are often found in uncooked or undercooked chicken products. The bacteria can cause severe diarrhea, cramps and fever. Some people become so dehydrated, they need to be hospitalized. Although most people recover within a week, symptoms can last for months. Salmonella poisoning can cause deadly sepsis infections if the bacteria are not promptly treated with antibiotics, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said about 20 Iowans have been hospitalized because of the recent salmonella outbreak. Quinlisk said she had not heard of any related deaths. She added that experts believe only about 10 percent of salmonella poisonings are reported because most people don’t become ill enough to see a doctor or to be tested for the bacteria.
David Werning, a spokesman for the inspections department, said the Iowa Department of Public Health uncovered the outbreak after noticing a spike in salmonella cases being reported. State experts interviewed patients about what they’d eaten in the previous two weeks, and they narrowed the likely culprit down to chicken salad sold by Fareway. The supermarket chain, based in Boone, acted quickly to pull the product from shelves and to help inspectors pinpoint the root of the problem, Werning said. “They’ve been very, very cooperative,” he said.
Werning said the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees chicken processing at the Ackley plant, but the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals oversees the processing of crab salad there on contract for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. State inspectors went to the plant last week and found no obvious problems, a report shows.
The Fareway chain, based in Boone, has 118 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
In a statement last week, Fareway leaders urged customers to discard any remaining chicken salad and to contact their local store for a refund. The company said it was taking the situation seriously. “This product is not produced at any Fareway location,” the company said. “At this time, based on our full cooperation with the appropriate parties, correspondence and investigation, we believe that this incident is not the result of anything done by Fareway. We also have no reason to believe this involves any other products.”
The salmonella outbreak has already spawned at least four lawsuits against Fareway.
For the rest of the article - https://www.desmoinesregister.com/news/
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