Butterball recalls ground turkey with possible salmonella

Wisconsin health officials found contaminated samples

Butterball is recalling about 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey that may be contaminated with salmonella, discovered in an investigation of a multistate outbreak that has sickened five people, the USDA announced.

The prepackaged turkey, also sold with Kroger and Food Lion brands, was distributed to institutional locations and stores across the country, according to the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The recalled items, produced July 7, 2018, include the following products in plastic-wrapped trays:

48-ounce Butterball Everyday fresh ground turkey with natural flavoring (85% lean/15% fat), with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188, and UPC codes 22655-71555 or 22655-71557.
48-ounce Butterball Everyday fresh ground turkey with natural flavoring (93% lean/7% fat), with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188, and UPC code 22655-7155.
16-ounce Butterball Everyday fresh ground turkey with natural flavoring (85% lean/15% fat), with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188 and UPC code 22655-71546.
16-ounce Butterball Everyday fresh ground turkey with natural flavoring (93% lean/7% fat), with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188, and UPC codes 22655-71547 or 22655-71561.
48-ounce Kroger ground fresh turkey (85% lean/15% fat), with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188, and UPC code 111141097993.
48-ounce Food Lion 15% fat ground turkey with natural flavorings, with sell or freeze by date of 7/26/18, lot code 8188, and UPC code 3582609294.

The products have the establishment number “Est. P-7345” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

FSIS and partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, are investigating the outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund illnesses of five people from two states.

Wisconsin collected three Butterball brand ground turkey samples from a residence where four of the people live. Samples from the people and the turkey are closely related genetically.

Any frozen products should be thrown away or returned to the seller.

Consumers with questions may call Butterball at 800-288-8372.

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Rose Shilling is a previous managing editor of Food Engineering Magazine. She wrote feature stories on a variety of topics and tracked the food packaging industry. A journalist with an editing background at news services and newspapers, she also has driven editorial projects in health care and higher education.