More news continues to come out in conjunction with a recent Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 278 people across the country. A report from the Los Angeles Times notes the surprising severity of the outbreak, the failure of Foster Farms to issue a recall, and where the investigation stands at this point.
The United States Department of Agriculture earlier this week shot off a warning letter to the company telling them that three California facilities that underwent an inspection are in such a sorry state that products from those plants would constitute a serious threat to consumers. Those plants are in Livingston and Fresno.
Despite this, Foster has yet to issue a recall related to the chicken, though Kroger, which operates Food 4 Less and Ralph’s, has. The Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center’s executive director called the lack of a recall from the company itself outrageous.
What’s particularly alarming about this incident is how resilient this particular strain of Salmonella has proven to be. 42% of reported cases have led to an individual being checked into a hospital, far more than the typical 21% of hospitalizations that usually come about with this type of outbreak. This Salmonella has also proven to be adept at fighting the antibiotics typically used to treat such an illness.