A Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in 2013 was linked to ground beef produced by Jouni Meats and sold at Gab Halal Foods. At least 22 people in 6 states were sickened in this outbreak.
Half of all ill persons interviewed were hospitalized, which is a very high number. Usually only about 20 to 25% of sick people are hospitalized with Salmonella infections. Fred Pritzker, a prominent food safety attorney who represents consumers sickened in these outbreaks said, “no company should produce, and no store should sell, any foods that contain enough pathogenic bacteria to make someone sick.”
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, chills, fever, headache, muscle pains, and blood in the stool. People usually get sick six to seventy-two hours after exposure to the pathogenic bacteria. Most people get better within a week, but some, especially those in high risk groups, get so sick they must be hospitalized. If you ate this product and got sick, see your doctor. Complications of a Salmonella infection can be lifelong, so your doctor should be aware that you had this infection.
The outbreak of case patients by state was: Arizona (1), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (9), Pennsylvania (1), and Wisconsin (8). The pulsed field-gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern that identified this bacteria has rarely been seen in PulseNet before. Among 14 people interviewed, 7, or 50%, were hospitalized. The patient age range was from 2 years to 87 years. Illness onset dates were from December 9, 2012 to February 20, 2013.
Investigations by state, local, and federal public health officials determined that ground beef produced by Jouni Meats and Gab Halal Foods was the likely source of this outbreak. The products were recalled on January 25, 2013.
The ground beef is no longer available in stores, but consumers may still have the product in their home freezers. Look at the recall information carefully and see if you do have this product. If so, discard it in a double bagged or sealed container so no animals or other people can eat it. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the product.
Seven of those sickened in this outbreak ate raw ground beef kibbeh made from the recalled product at Ike’s Restaurant before they got sick. Eating raw meat is a risk factor for food poisoning. Ground meat, especially, should always been cooked to 160°F before eating to destroy pathogenic bacteria. Pritzker added, “restaurants that serve raw or undercooked ground meat should display warning signs to inform their customers of the risks of these products.”
