Jennie-O turkey burgers recalled

WILLMAR, Minn., April 3 (UPI) -- A Minnesota turkey processor is recalling nearly 59,000 pounds of turkey burger products after a dozen people got sick in 10 states, federal officials say.

The U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its Web site Friday Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar issued the recall because the nearly 30 tons of frozen, raw turkey burger products may be contaminated with salmonella.

The inspection service, which is investigating the situation, said additional recalls are possible and urges consumers to take extra care when preparing all raw turkey products.

The products being recalled are 4-pound boxes of Jennie-O Turkey Store's "All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat." Each box contains 12 1/3-pound, individually wrapped burgers with a use by date of Dec. 23, 2011, and an identifying lot code of "32710" through "32780" printed on the side panel of each box, just above the opening tear strip.

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services notified the federal inspection service of a patient diagnosed with salmonellosis caused by Salmonella serotype Hadar. The investigation expanded to include 12 people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin who also were diagnosed with the infection between December and March.