State Health Department Warns Consumers of Salmonella Contamination

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Department of Public Health officials are warning consumers about Salmonella after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced Daniele International Inc. is recalling approximately 1,240,000 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) varieties of Italian sausage products because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses.  During the course of that investigation, a sample of product was tested and found to contain Salmonella.  The product tested was similar to products bought by customers who later became sick in the Montevideo investigation, but currently there is not a direct link.  The Salmonella strain in the tested product does not appear to be the Montevideo strain of interest and further testing of the sample is ongoing.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses.  Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially for those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours.  Additional symptoms may include chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

The company voluntarily recalled all products in circulation associated with black pepper, which the company believes is a possible source of contamination.

The products subject to recall include:
• 10-ounce packages of "DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."
• Catch weight packages of "DANIELE PEPPER SALAME."
• 9-ounce packages of "BLACK BEAR OF THE BLACK FOREST BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME."
• 20-ounce packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SMOKED SALAME, PEPPERED SALAME, RUSTIC SALAME."
• 340- and 454-gram packages of "DANIELE SURTIDO FINO ITALIANO, SALAMI GENOA CON PIMIENTA, LOMO CAPOCOLLO, SALAMI CALABRESE."
• 16-ounce packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."
• 8-ounce packages of "DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION PARTY PLATTER PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."
• 8-ounce packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."
• 16-ounce packages of "DANIELE GOURMET COMBO PACK, PEPPER SALAME, CAPOCOLLO, CALABRESE."
• 500-gram packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK EMBALLAGE ASSORTI GOURMET ITALIEN, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, CALABRESE PIQUANT, SALAMI AU POIVRE, HOT CAPOCOLLO, CAPOCOLLO PIQUANT."
• 8-ounce packages of "BOAR'S HEAD BRAND ALL NATURAL SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."
• Catch weight packages of "DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION, BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME, MADE WITH 100% PORK COATED WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PORK FAT."
• 20-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME."
• 21-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, PEPPERED GENOA SALAMI, HOT SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI GENOA POIVRÉ, SALAMI SOPRESSATA PIQUANT, SALAMI MILANO."
• 7-ounce packages of "DANIELE SALAME BITES PEPPER SALAME."
• 14-ounce packages of "DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION ASSORTMENT DE FINES CHARCUTERIE ITALIENNE, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI MILANO."
• Catch weight packages of "DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."
• 32-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME."

Each package bears a label with establishment number "EST. 9992" or "EST. 54" inside the USDA mark of inspection.  These products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide, as well as internationally.  When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS' Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.