Plainville Brands Ground Turkey Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Trisha Calvo
·3 min read

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More than 211,000 pounds of raw ground turkey produced by Plainville Brands LLC may be contaminated with Salmonella Hadar, according to a public health alert from the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The turkey may be involved in a salmonella outbreak that has caused 28 illnesses in 12 states.

The turkey was packaged under Plainville Farms, Nature’s Promise, and Wegmans brands. The USDA said that it did not request that Plainville recall the turkey because the use by/freeze by/sell by dates were in early January, so it should no longer on store shelves. However, some consumers who purchased the products may still have them in their freezers.

A list of stores where the turkey was sold was not immediately available, but the USDA said that the products were shipped nationwide. Nature’s Promise brand is sold at various stores, such as Food Lion, Giant, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop. Wegmans brand is sold in Wegmans stores. The specific products that may be involved in the outbreak are:

  • 1-pound packages of Nature’s Promise 94% lean/6% fat ground turkey with use by/freeze by/sell by dates of 1/1/21, 1/3/21,1/4/21, 1/8/21, and 1/10/21.

  • 1-pound and 3-pound packages of Wegmans 94% lean/6% fat ground turkey with use by/freeze by/sell by dates of 1/3/21, 1/4/21, 1/8/21, and 1/10/21.

  • 1-pound packages of Plainville Farms ground white turkey 93%/ 7% Fat with use by/freeze by/sell by date of 1/10/21.

The ground turkey products were produced between Dec. 18 and Dec. 29, 2020. They all bear establishment number EST. P-244 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the package.

The USDA says that the salmonella illnesses occurred between Dec. 28, 2020 and March 4, 2021. An intact, unopened package of Plainville Brands’ ground turkey collected from an ill person’s home tested positive for Salmonella Hadar, and that strain was closely related to the strain of salmonella that made the individual sick. The USDA says it's continuing its investigation.

Consumer Reports contacted Plainville Brands, but the company didn't provide a comment.

If you purchased ground turkey from these brands mid-December 2020 through early January 2021 and froze it, do not eat it. The USDA advises that you throw it away or return it to the place where you bought it.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps anywhere from 6 hours to six days after exposure, according to the CDC. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and resolves without treatment. However, some people may become so ill that they require hospitalization. Call a doctor if you have a fever higher than 102° F, if diarrhea doesn’t improve in three days, or if you have bloody stools. Dehydration is also possible and should be assessed by a doctor. Signs of dehydration include dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing, and making very little urine.

The Details

Products recalled: Plainville Farms, Nature’s Promise, and Wegmans ground turkey with use by/sell by/freeze by dates between 1/1/2021 and 1/10/2021

The problem: The ground turkey may be contaminated with Salmonella Hadar.

The fix: If you purchased turkey from these brands mid-December through early January and still have it in your freezer, do not eat it. Instead throw it away or return it to the store where you bought it.

How to contact the manufacturer: Contact Yusef Robb at (323) 384-1789 or yusef@tkCommunicationsLLC.com.