FREELAND, Pa. — Euro Foods Inc. is recalling nearly 120,000 pounds of salami stick products that may be contaminated with salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed Wednesday.
Regulators issued a public health alert regarding certain Freeland, Pennsylvania-based Euro Foods products in late October, but stopped short of issuing a recall, believing that the affected products were no longer circulating. The agency determined that potentially tainted products were, in fact, still being sold, and confirmed that a product available at one retail location and two Citterio salami stick samples previously collected by the California Department of Public Health tested positive for salmonella bacteria.
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Wednesday’s official recall is limited to 2-ounce packages of Citterio “Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks ALL NATURAL” with a “best by” date of Jan. 23, 2022, located next to the barcode. The affected products also bear the establishment number “4010,” found inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The recalled salami sticks were shipped to retail locations nationwide and exported to Bermuda, the recall notice stated.
FSIS has been working in tandem with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as with state public health partners, to investigate a 10-state salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 31 people to date. The onset dates for those people who fell ill ranged from Sept. 18 through Oct. 18, the agency confirmed.
FSIS is concerned that some potentially tainted salami products may be in consumers’ pantries or refrigerators, so anyone who purchased the affected products is advised to discard the product or return it to the place of purchase.
Consumers are urged to wash all items, containers and surfaces that may have come into contact with potentially tainted products, using hot soapy water or a dishwasher, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised..
According to the agency, most people who contract salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, with symptoms typically beginning between six hours and six days after swallowing the bacteria. Although the majority of those who fall ill usually recover without treatment after four to seven days, children younger than 5, adults 65 and older and immunocompromised people may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Medical attention should be sought if any of the following salmonella symptoms occur:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees.
- Diarrhea for more than three days that does not improve.
- Bloody diarrhea.
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down.
- Signs of dehydration, including limited urination, dry mouth and throat and dizziness upon standing.
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