Category: poultry

Salmonella ‘Superbug’ Kills One – Sickens Seventy-Seven

Since March 9, 2011, a strain of Salmonella Heidelberg that is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics has sickened 77 people in 26 states. Twenty-two (38%) of the 58 people for whom the information is available have been hospitalized.

Thus far, illnesses have been reported from Alabama (1), Arizona (2), California (6), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (1), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (10), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), Mississippi (1), New York (2), North Carolina (1), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (9), and Wisconsin (3).

The illnesses have been linked to the consumption of ground turkey from an as-yet unidentified source. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a Public Health Alert for Frozen, Fresh Ground Turkey Products on July 29th. Nearly one-half (49%) of the outbreak victims with available information reported having eaten ground turkey in the 7 days before they were interviewed.

According to CDC, cultures of four ground turkey samples – purchased between March 7th and June 27th from retail locations as part of the government’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System – were positive for Salmonella Heidelberg. Three of the four samples proved to be from a common production facility. The source of the fourth sample is still being determined. None of the four products that were found to contain Salmonella Heidelberg have been linked specifically to illnesses.

This is the second Salmonella outbreak in 2011 that is linked to the consumption of ground turkey products. As of April 1, 2011, twelve people in ten states were infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Hadar after consuming turkey burgers from Jennie-O Turkey Store® inWillmar, MN. The poultry processor recalled 54,960 pounds of frozen, raw turkey burger products after samples of the burgers tested positive for the outbreak strain. State labs reported that the Salmonella Hadar outbreak strain was resistant to ampicillin, amoxicinnin/clavulanate, cephalothin and tetracycline.

The source of the Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak has not yet been identified; at least, its identity hasn’t been revealed. And no new recall of ground turkey products has been announced.

Ground turkey – like ground chicken – is a high risk food for Salmonella contamination. While turkey meat is perceived to be a healthy choice compared to ground beef, the relatively high baseline level of Salmonella in poultry products raises substantially the risk of undercooking and cross-contamination during handling.

CDC and FSIS are reminding consumers that, for safety, raw ground poultry must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF – and that the final temperature must be verified using a meat thermometer. Neither cooking for a specific number of minutes nor relying on the color of the meat, is a safe way to determine when ground poultry – or any raw meat – has been thoroughly cooked.

More information on the source of the contaminated ground turkey products should become available soon. Federal, state and local agencies are collecting and collating additional product information – including date and location of purchase of ground turkey meat – from outbreak victims as part of their traceback investigation.

Meanwhile, CDC offers the following advice to consumers, retailers and other food handlers:

  • Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry including frozen, fresh ground turkey. Then, disinfect the food contact surfaces using a freshly prepared solution of 1 tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water.
  • Cook poultry thoroughly. Ground turkey and ground turkey dishes should always be cooked to 165 °F internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer; leftovers also should be reheated to 165 °F. The color of cooked poultry is not always a sure sign of its safety. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that poultry has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink. Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems. For more information, please see this FSIS fact sheet about safe food handling.
  • If served undercooked poultry in a restaurant, send it back to the kitchen for further cooking.
  • Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided. Uncooked meats should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Hands, cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils should be washed thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hands should be washed before handling food, and between handling different food items.
  • Refrigerate raw and cooked meat and poultry within 2 hours after purchase (one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F). Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking. Refrigerators should be set to maintain a temperature of 40 °F or below.
  • Persons who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated ground turkey should consult their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.

Chicken Jerky Dog Treats: An FDA Update

December 19, 2008

Last week, we reported on a mysterious kidney ailment occurring in Australian dogs, which appeared to be linked to Kramar brand chicken jerky dog treats. Kramar announced a precautionary recall of the treats, even though no one has yet been able to determine the exact cause of the ailment.

The chicken jerky treats were manufactured in China.

In our report, we mentioned that a similar problem had arisen in the United States in 2007, and that FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine had issued a warning to pet owners. As in the Australian situation, the treats were imported from China, and the contaminant that triggered the kidney symptoms could not be found.

Today, the Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued a new Preliminary Animal Health Notification on this same problem. According to CVM, the agency has continued to receive complaints about pet illnesses linked to chicken jerky treats. Unfortunately, CVM appears to be no closer to solving the mystery.

CVM has issued this new warning to alert pet owners who choose to give these treats to their dogs to watch for the development of any of the following symptoms, which may appear hours or days after a dog has eaten these treats. Small dogs appear to be especially susceptible.

  • decreased appetite (dog may continue to eat the treat but refuse usual food)
  • decreased activity level
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea – sometimes with blood
  • increased water consumption and/or increased urination

A dog that displays any of these symptoms after having eaten chicken jerky treats should be seen by a veterinarian if the symptoms are severe or if they persist longer than 24 hours.

FDA is continuing its investigation into possible chemical or microbiological contaminants in the chicken jerky treats. The agency urges dog owners and veterinarians to report any pet food- associated illnesses to the FDA Consumer Coordinator in their state.

Chicken Jerky Dog Treats Recalled In Australia

December 10, 2008

The Australian Veterinary Association has warned pet owners and veterinarians to watch for dogs exhibiting signs of acquired Fanconi-like syndrome after KraMar announced that it was withdrawing its Supa Naturals Chicken breasts strips from the Australian market.

The dog treats were imported from China.

The withdrawal comes as a result of an unusually high number of dogs being reported as suffering from symptoms consistent with this relatively uncommon syndrome. University of Sydney researchers have pointed an epidemiological finger linking the problem to the consumption of the chicken treat.

While KraMar has withdrawn the implicated product, the company was careful to point out that there is no direct scientific evidence linking the chicken treats to the problem. KraMar routinely tests these products for the presence of melamine, Salmonella and E. coli.

Fanconi’s syndrome, most often an inherited disease, is characterized by elevated levels of glucose in urine, but not in blood. The high glucose level is an indicator of damage to the kidney’s ability to reabsorb nutrients and electrolytes back into the body.

Non-hereditary Fanconi-like symptoms can be triggered – at least in humans – by a number of factors, including exposure to heavy metals or other chemicals, vitamin D deficiency, or multiple myeloma, among others. While the definition of a “heavy metal” is somewhat arbitrary, this category of chemical elements includes arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium and zinc.

The situation in Australia is eerily reminiscent of a similar incident that took place last year in the United States. In September 2007, FDA warned consumers that as many as 95 dogs might have been sickened – some fatally – as a result of having been fed chicken jerky treats imported from China. Extensive chemical and microbiological testing carried out by the agency failed to reveal anything unusual. At least some of the dogs exhibited symptoms consistent with Fanconi-like syndrome. But FDA never was able to tie down a cause for the illnesses.

KraMar has told ABC News that it is considering moving the production of their Supa Naturals Chicken treat to Australia. Meanwhile dog owners should be watchful for symptoms such as excessive drinking and urination, lethargy and vomiting, and should contact their veterinarian immediately should these symptoms appear.

For more information about the precautionary recall, consumers can contact KraMar by email at customerservice@kramar.com.au or by telephone at 02 4648 8500.