Jennie-O is Recalling Over 164,000 Pounds of Ground Turkey Due to Salmonella

12/27/2018 — Check your freezer! Since the first recall was announced on November 8, Jennie-O announced an additional recall of over 164,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the raw turkey may have been contaminated with Salmonella Reading, a strain of salmonella that has also been identified in samples from raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products, and live turkeys.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 216 people from 38 different states and the District of Columbia have been infected with Salmonella Reading (though some have gotten sick from other sources of raw turkey besides the Jennie-O brand). Of those, 84 people have been hospitalized, and one person from California has died.

Here are all the current food recalls you should know about.

The products included in the Jennie-O recall were produced on October 22 and October 23. Here’s a full list of what you should be checking your fridge and freezer for:

• 3-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 93% Lean, 7% Fat” with “use or freeze by” dates of November 12 and 13, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 93% Lean, 7% Fat” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 12, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 12, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 1-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 12, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 3-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 85% Lean, 15% Fat” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 13, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 2.5-lb. packages of “Jennie-O Ground Turkey 93% Lean, 7% Fat” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 13, 2018 on the side of the trays

• 3-lb. packages of “Stater Bros. 85% Lean, 15% Fat All Natural Ground Turkey” with a “use or freeze by” date of November 12, 2018 on the side of the trays

No information about which stores the ground turkey was sold in has been released yet, but the products were shipped nationwide. You can also check to see if any ground turkey you have is part of the recall by looking for the establishment number “EST. P-579” inside the USDA mark of inspection (or printed on the side of the tray).

Almond butter and sunflower butter are also being recalled.

The FSIS is working with other public health organizations, like the CDC, to trace back a sample of Jennie-O ground turkey that was in a patient’s home and tested positive for Salmonella Reading. This investigation is also part of a larger effort including state public health and agriculture partners to identify the sources of a larger outbreak of Salmonella Reading infections, which so far has sickened 216 people and killed one.

People who have gotten sick have reported eating different brands and types of turkey products from a variety of stores, handling raw turkey pet food and raw turkey, or working with live turkeys or living with someone who handles live turkeys. Because the infections seem to have a variety of sources, more recalls from additional companies may be coming, but a single, common supplier of raw or live turkeys that could account for the whole outbreak hasn’t been identified.

Cauliflower and lettuce are being recalled due to E. coli concerns.

To stay safe, the FSIS urges consumers to throw out or return any of the recalled turkey that they may still have in their freezers. Also, remember to cook raw poultry to 165°F before eating it, and to wash your hands and cooking surfaces often when you’re working with raw poultry. Keep raw meat separate from other foods, and make sure any raw meat you’re storing in your fridge or freezer is chilled properly.