WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Federal officials say at least 202 people in 42 states have been infected with Salmonella Montevideo in an outbreak associated with certain salami products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said a recent epidemiologic study comparing foods eaten by 41 ill and 41 well persons suggests pepper-coated salami as a possible source of illness.
On Jan. 23, Daniele International Inc. initiated a nationwide recall of ready-to-eat varieties of Italian sausage products, including salami, the FDA said, noting recent tests by the Rhode Island Department of Health revealed an opened container of black pepper used at the salami manufacturing facility on at least some of the recalled products was positive for Salmonella Montevideo and the DNA fingerprint matched the outbreak strain.
"The FDA is actively investigating the supply chain of the black pepper used in the manufacturing of the recalled meat products to see if it poses a risk to consumers," the federal agency said.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
