Consumer Reports urges USDA to name turkey brands in salmonella outbreak as Thanksgiving nears

Health and regulatory officials are still investigating the turkey brands liked to a recent salmonella outbreak that has caused one death and sickened 164 people as of Nov. 5, according to ABC News.

The outbreak started sometime in November 2017. As of Nov. 5, 2018, 164 people have contracted salmonella across 35 states. Out of those cases, 63 people were hospitalized and one person died. The states most affected by the outbreak are Texas, Minnesota, Illinois and New York.

Consumer Reports on Nov. 14 called on the USDA to list the brands of turkey products associated with the drug-resistant salmonella with Thanksgiving less than a week away.

"The USDA should immediately make public which turkey producers, suppliers, and brands are involved in this outbreak — especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner," Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumer Reports, said in a statement. "This information could save lives and help ensure consumers take the precautions needed to prevent anyone in their home from getting sick."

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement cited by ABC News, "To be abundantly clear, FSIS has NOT identified a source or supplier of the product or products that are making consumers ill, but we continue to work around the clock with our federal and state public health partners to solve this."

The salmonella strain linked to the outbreak was found in live turkeys, raw turkey products and turkey pet food in Minnesota. The strain was also found in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants.

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