Tainted Chicken Salad Is Likely Behind a Multi-State Salmonella Outbreak

Tainted chicken salad is likely behind a multi-state salmonella outbreak that has sent 62 people to the hospital, according to an announcement from the CDC.

Iowa-based Triple T Specialty Meats has recalled more than 20,600 pounds of chicken salad produced between Jan. 2 and Feb. 7, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Feb. 21. The potentially contaminated products were sold at Fareway grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota between Jan. 4 and Feb. 9, the CDC says.

Exposure to salmonella bacteria can result in severe gastrointestinal illness, which can become fatal if an infection spreads beyond the intestines, according to the Mayo Clinic. One hundred and five cases of salmonellosis in seven states have been reported in connection with the current outbreak, but no deaths have been reported. Forty-five of 58 people interviewed when the outbreak was first announced had eaten chicken salad purchased at Fareway, according to the CDC.

Fareway stopped selling Triple T chicken salad in all of its stores on Feb. 9. It will not restock the product until “we are certain the problem has unquestionably been resolved,” according to a statement from the Iowa-based company.

“At Fareway our mission takes product quality and transparency very seriously,” the statement reads. “This mission transcends to our third party suppliers.”

The CDC is recommending that customers dispose of any chicken salad purchased at Fareway, as well as clean and sterilize the area where it was stored.

In February, the CDC announced that kratom, an herbal supplement used for pain and anxiety relief, has also been implicated in a multi-state salmonella outbreak.