Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Pepper
Federal officials say 225 people in 44 states, including Georgia, have been sickened by salmonella in imported black pepper used in the preparation of salami and other types of Italian sausage.
Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella can have fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, salmonella infection can spread to the bloodstream and result in severe illnesses such as arterial infections and arthritis.
Daniele International, a Rhode Island company recalled 1.2 million pounds of ready-to-eat salami Jan. 22, after state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to the company's products. Daniele expanded the recall Feb. 4 to include 23,754 additional pounds of salami products.
Of those sickened by the product, officials say about 26 percent had to be hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Victims of the outbreak are up to 93 years old, with a median age of 39.
This is the second time in less than a year that an outbreak of salmonella illness has been linked to pepper. Last March, 42 people fell ill after eating tainted white and black pepper sold by Union International Food of California.
The salami, sopressata and other products were packaged under Daniele as well as the Boar's Head and Black Bear of the Black Woods brands and were sold by several national chains, including Costco and Wal-mart and online through Amazon.com.
Health officials say anyone who experiences sickness after eating an Italian sausage should seek medical help.
