Jan. 22, 2024 – A recall of thousands of pounds charcuterie sold at Costco and Sam’s Club has been linked to nearly 50 people being sickened by salmonella bacteria, and the retailers and health officials are concerned more people are at risk.
The variety meat packs have best by dates stretching as far as June 13, 2024, and may still be in people’s refrigerators. The CDC says so far, the packs of uncured Italian-style meats have been linked to 47 cases of salmonella illness, and 10 people have been hospitalized. The affected products were available for purchase starting in November.
The recall was recently expanded from products totaling more than 11,000 pounds sold at Sam’s Club to now include those sold at Costco. The recalled items are:
- Busseto Foods Charcuterie Sampler of Prosciutto, Sweet Sopressata, and Dry Coppa sold at Sam’s Club.
- Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta sold at Costco.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a food safety alert regarding the products, and the CDC says to throw away any of the meats, regardless of which lot code is printed on the package. People should wash surfaces or containers that may have touched these products with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher.
Infections due to salmonella bacteria usually start between 6 hours and 6 days. Common symptoms are diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Most people recover within 4 to 7 days, but young children and older adults, as well as those with weakened immune systems, may have severe illness and need medical treatment or hospitalization, the CDC advised.
People in 22 states have been sickened so far with the strain of salmonella linked to the recall, which first was issued in early January after Minnesota officials tested the Busseto product and linked it to sick people in the state. Among the 47 known cases, the people ranged in age from 1 to 91 years old.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella,” the CDC explained in its alert.