Thirty-six people have been reported sick from 17 states and 12 people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported due to an outbreak of Salmonella infections related to Fratelli Beretta brand prepackaged Italian-style meats.
No cases have yet been reported in New Jersey, but the suspect product is sold nationwide.
Interviews with sick people and shopper card records showed that most people ate Fratelli Beretta brand uncured antipasto trays before they got sick.
CDC is advising people to not eat Fratelli Beretta brand prepackaged uncured antipasto trays. Trays can include uncured salami, prosciutto, coppa, or soppressata. They were sold nationwide and have “best by” dates on or before February 11, 2022.
Italian-style meats sliced at a deli are not included in this alert.
Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc., a Mount Olive, N.J. establishment, is recalling about 862,000 pounds of uncured antipasto products for possible salmonella contamination, the latest outbreak linked to deli meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The investigation is ongoing to determine if additional products are linked to illness. A CDC Food Safety Alert regarding the multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections has been posted: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/italian-style-meat-08-21/index.html
Health officials said consumers should not eat Fratelli Beretta brand prepackaged uncured antipasto trays with “best by” dates on or before February 11, 2022. Throw them away, even if some of them were eaten and no one got sick.
If you don’t know the brand of prepackaged Italian-style meats you have at home, don’t eat them and throw them away.
Wash items, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the products using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
Some ill people reported eating uncured antipasto before they got sick and the traceback investigation confirmed that some of the ill people purchased antipasto trays produced by Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc.
Consumption of food contaminated with bacteria can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 6 hours to 6 days after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days.
Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product is in consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Fratelli Beretta, producer of prosciutto mortadella, salami, and other Italian specialties, has enjoyed success for almost two centuries as a family run business.
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