16 People Sickened In Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Ground Beef In 4 States

Salmonella can cause around 1.35 million infections every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year, one of its hosts is ground beef. A post from the CDC on July 25, 2023, announced that 16 people have contracted foodborne illnesses with salmonella bacteria from eating 80% lean ground beef, and six people have been hospitalized. All of the affected people live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and those who remembered said they purchased ground beef from ShopRite stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

The CDC is currently investigating the producers of the ground beef in question, so there's no recall in place as of yet. However, if you live in or near these states and have bought ground beef from a ShopRite recently, you may want to get rid of it. The CDC estimates that the outbreak may be bigger than the number of currently recorded sick people, since it can take up to four weeks to get accurate data after someone gets an illness. If you have eaten this type of ground beef recently and contract salmonella, however, you should notice symptoms within six hours to six days.

Although the CDC posted the notice of the outbreak on July 25, people started reporting illnesses from salmonella as early as April 27, 2023. People typically recover from salmonella without treatment within a week, but children younger than five and adults 65 or older may require a doctor or hospital's help to get better. Typical cases of salmonella can give you diarrhea, a fever, and stomach cramps, while more serious ones can show up as dehydration, vomiting, and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

ShopRite's parent company, Wakefern Food Corp, reiterated that the source of the beef still has yet to be determined. "Customers should also know that all of the ground beef sourced by ShopRite comes from USDA inspected facilities and includes instructions for safe handling and proper cooking," Wakefern spokesperson Karen O'Shea told CBS News. As of July 26, you can still buy ground beef at the chain. Whether you've consumed ground beef from ShopRite in these states recently or not, the CDC advises making sure you always cook it to 160 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming. Also, thoroughly wash any surfaces that have touched the raw meat, including your hands, and keep the beef separate from other raw foods.