Salmonella Outbreak: Cargill Announces Largest Ever Recall of Ground Turkey for Recent Salmonella Outbreak

In what is being called the largest recall for meat associated with an outbreak of illness, Cargill, announced on Wednesday that it is recalling an estimated 36 million pounds of ground turkey.

The meat, which was produced at an Arkansas plant, has been linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella illness which can cause fever and diarrhea. In severe cases blood poisoning may result. So far one person in California has died in the outbreak and at least 76 have reported illness.

The current outbreak is a strain, known as Salmonella Heidelberg, which is resistant to many standard antibiotics.

“It is regrettable that people may have become ill from eating one of our ground turkey products and, for anyone who did, we are truly sorry,” Steve Willardsen, president of Cargill’s turkey processing business, said in a written statement.

The recall includes ground turkey produced at the plant since February, and was sold under the brand name of “Honeysuckle White.”