Massive salami recall linked to salmonella outbreak

The state health division tracking the cases reported a total of 184 related cases from July last year until January this year, in 38 states including eight in Oregon and 14 in Washington.

In the multi-state outbreak, nearly 35 have been hospitalized, though no fatalities have been reported.

Citing a potential health risk, the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) urged consumers and food service providers to discard the recalled products immediately or return them for a refund.

The recalled products were distributed internationally as well as at nationwide outlets like groceries, warehouse stores and online.

Although most of the products were retailed under the Daniele brand name, some items labeled with the Boar's Head, Black Bear, or Dietz & Watson.

Each package carries an establishment number "EST. 54" or "EST. 9992."

No direct link established with any Daniele product
State and federal health officials have failed to establish a direct link between the sickness and any Daniele product.

Spokesman of the company Jason Maloni declared that two of the Daniele’s three plants have been tested and found bacteria free. Meanwhile, additional testing is underway.

However, preliminary results suggest that 11 people who had eaten salami products from the “Daniele Italian Brand Gourmet Pack,” had fallen sick.

William Keene, a senior epidemiologist at the Oregon Public Health Division, stated that the cause of the sickness was difficult to specify and investigators are still trying to figure out the exact source of contamination.

The vice president of Sales, Davide Dukcevich said, "Our family business has been producing premium gourmet products for over 60 years. While we conduct further tests, our goal right now is to take prudent, proactive measures to do everything possible to remove any products that do not meet our high standards for quality and taste."

A little about salmonellosis
Salmonellosis is an acute bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps. The symptoms usually occur within 12-72 hours after consuming tainted food.

The illness lasts for a period of four to seven days and most people recover without medical intervention.

However, in severe cases the infection can spread from the intestines to the blood stream sometimes leading to hospitalization and death.

Infants, with a vulnerable immune system are more likely to develop complications.