More ground turkey recalled

Associated Press

CHICAGO

Cargill Inc. announced a second recall of ground- turkey products Sunday after a test showed salmonella in a sample from the same Arkansas plant tied to a recall issued last month.

The second recall is much smaller than the one the company issued Aug. 3 for 36 million pounds of ground turkey. That recall followed a salmonella outbreak that federal health officials said had sickened 107 people in 31 states, killing one person.

No illnesses have been tied to the second recall, which was initiated after a sample from the company’s plant in Springdale, Ark., tested positive for salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Cargill halted production of ground turkey products at the plant Aug. 2 in anticipation of the recall announced the next day, spokesman Mike Martin said. Equipment was taken apart and steam-cleaned. Limited production resumed Aug. 10 after the USDA approved additional anti-bacterial safety measures, Martin said.

The sample that tested positive for salmonella was taken Aug. 24, the USDA said. It was the same strain of salmonella tied to the earlier illnesses, the agency said.

The second recall covers about 185,000 pounds of ground-turkey products, including trays of ground meat, patties and chubs, the USDA said. The products were distributed nationwide under the Kroger, Fresh HEB and Cargill’s Honeysuckle White brands.

All ground turkey made at the Springdale plant has “P-963” or “963” on the package, in a USDA seal or perhaps on the cellophane, Martin said. Consumers who bought products bearing that identification number can call 888-812-1646 for instructions on what to do, he said.