Charcuterie meat recall: Salmonella infections have doubled; advisory issued
Consumers should not eat the Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler from Sam’s Club or Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco, the CDC said. Throw them away. (Credit: CDC)
Charcuterie meats sold at Costco and Sam’s Club have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak now reported in at least 22 states, U.S. health officials said in a new advisory.
A total of 47 people so far have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella, including 23 new illnesses added to the tally this week, according to a notice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 10 people have been hospitalized, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported.
Two products – Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler sold at Sam’s Club and Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco – have been recalled because they may be contaminated, the agency warned. Consumers should throw these products away, regardless of the lot code.
The Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler, which comes in a twin pack of two 9-ounce packages, contains prosciutto, sweet soppressata, and dry coppa.
The Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco has black pepper coated dry salami, Italian dry salami, dry coppa, and prosciutto, the agency said. The meat also comes in a twin pack of two 12-ounce packages.
"While this investigation is ongoing, do not eat the Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler from Sam’s Club or Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco. Throw them away," the CDC said.
Sam’s Club and Costco have removed these products from their stores, the CDC said. Investigators are working to determine if any additional products may be contaminated.
The earliest illnesses in the outbreak were reported in late November, according to the CDC’s timeline. The most illnesses have been reported so far in Ohio (11), Washington state (5), New York (4), Nebraska (3), Pennsylvania (3), and Texas (3) – though illnesses have been reported in a total of 22 U.S. states.
But the CDC warned that the true number of sick people in the outbreak is "likely much higher," as many recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.
The charcuterie meats were identified during interviews with those who got sick and lab testing, the agency said. Of the 26 people interviewed, 19 (73%) reported eating a variety of charcuterie meats.
Four people bought the Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco, and one person bought another Fratelli Beretta brand charcuterie product, the CDC said. Three people bought the Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler from Sam’s Club, and two people bought charcuterie meats from Sam’s Club – but didn’t remember the brand name.
"Minnesota Department of Agriculture collected one unopened package of the twin-pack of Busseto brand charcuterie sampler from a sick person’s home. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the Salmonella in the charcuterie sampler is closely related to bacteria from sick people," the CDC said. "This suggests that people got sick from eating the charcuterie sampler."
Symptoms of Salmonella infection usually begin six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria and can include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, according to the CDC.
This story was reported from Cincinnati.