Salmonella Outbreaks: What You Need to Know
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Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious gastrointestinal illnesses in humans. Outbreaks of the bacteria strain can occur in the industrial food-packing industry, leading to recalls of various food products. Generally speaking, salmonella can’t be spread from person to person.
Instead, someone has to ingest a food item that has been contaminated with the bacteria. A recent recall of meat products sold at Costco locations has some people concerned about a potential outbreak. Here’s what you need to know about the Costco recall.
The Costco recall is on meat trays sold under the brand name “Fratelli Beretta”. Some of the meat products in the trays could be contaminated with salmonella. The items covered under the recall were sold in Costco locations from February 18, 2021 through August 18, 2021. Customers who think they might have purchased the affected meat should check their refrigerators.
The products covered in the recall have a “best if used by” date of February 11, 2022, making it easy to tell them apart from products that aren’t covered. The good news is that you can return the item to Costco, along with the receipt proving you purchased it there, in order to secure a full refund. If you no longer have the receipt, you should still discard the products, as they can cause serious illness if ingested.
Salmonella is a bacteria strain that commonly causes foodborne illness. An infection caused by salmonella is often referred to as “food poisoning,” and comes with some rather unpleasant side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever.
Many people who are exposed to the bacteria never develop any symptoms. Others, however, can experience severe, unpleasant symptoms that last up to 72 hours. In some rare cases, an infection can be bad enough that it spreads past the gastrointestinal tract and becomes more serious.
Generally speaking, salmonella infections aren’t life-threatening, they’re just unpleasant. In some rare cases, people with weakened immune systems or elderly people can develop significantly more dangerous infections that go beyond the intestines. In these cases, it’s recommended that a patient goes to the doctor right away to seek treatment.
It’s ideal to avoid foods and drinks prepared in environments with poor sanitation. When salmonella outbreaks take place, it’s important that you follow all recall notices to avoid ingesting the harmful bacteria and developing symptoms like food poisoning, or worse, more severe infections.