USA Today
Pepper, a spice historically used to preserve food, could be the cause of a 1.24 million-pound salami recall, some food safety experts say.
Daniele Inc., of Pascoag, R.I., recalled ready-to-eat pepper-coated salami, sausage and other cured meats Saturday, saying they may be contaminated with salmonella.
The outbreak began in July. So far it has sickened 184 people in 38 states, leading to at least 35 hospitalizations but no deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To date, health officials have not found this salmonella strain in any Daniele products. But 11 people who recently ate "Daniele Italian Brand Gourmet Pack" were infected, said the company's Davide Dukcevich, in a statement on its website.
The one thing all the recalled products have in common is that they were rolled in pepper, or packaged with a product that was.
The answers won't be known until the factory investigation is finished. "I don't think that other possibilities have been ruled out yet," said William Keene, a senior epidemiologist with Oregon's Dept. of Public Health.
Uncooked pepper has been known to carry salmonella, said David Theno, formerly head of food safety at Jack in the Box and now a consultant. "Frankly, if you're using pepper and you're not doing some sort of sterilization process on it, you're rolling the dice."
Some suppliers sell irradiated pepper, but "there is no federal requirement that pepper be sterilized," Daniele spokesman Jason Maloni said Sunday. "However, we will begin only using irradiated pepper next week for all our products."
Last April, at least 42 people were sickened with salmonella linked to pepper.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps; in infants, elderly and those with weak immune systems, illness can be severe.
Daniele Inc., of Pascoag, R.I., recalled ready-to-eat pepper-coated salami, sausage and other cured meats Saturday, saying they may be contaminated with salmonella.
The outbreak began in July. So far it has sickened 184 people in 38 states, leading to at least 35 hospitalizations but no deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To date, health officials have not found this salmonella strain in any Daniele products. But 11 people who recently ate "Daniele Italian Brand Gourmet Pack" were infected, said the company's Davide Dukcevich, in a statement on its website.
The one thing all the recalled products have in common is that they were rolled in pepper, or packaged with a product that was.
The answers won't be known until the factory investigation is finished. "I don't think that other possibilities have been ruled out yet," said William Keene, a senior epidemiologist with Oregon's Dept. of Public Health.
Uncooked pepper has been known to carry salmonella, said David Theno, formerly head of food safety at Jack in the Box and now a consultant. "Frankly, if you're using pepper and you're not doing some sort of sterilization process on it, you're rolling the dice."
Some suppliers sell irradiated pepper, but "there is no federal requirement that pepper be sterilized," Daniele spokesman Jason Maloni said Sunday. "However, we will begin only using irradiated pepper next week for all our products."
Last April, at least 42 people were sickened with salmonella linked to pepper.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps; in infants, elderly and those with weak immune systems, illness can be severe.
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