The Salmonella outbreak linked to Citterio salami sticks has ended after sickening 34 people, hospitalizing seven of them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- outbreak, which included illnesses in 10 states, was linked to Citterio brand Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks sold at Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and other stores.
Public Health Alert for Salami Sticks
After the CDC announced the outbreak on October 25, 2021, Trader Joe’s stopped selling this product, but neither Citterio nor Trader Joe’s issued a recall for this salami product.
On October 27, 2021, the CDC announced that it had learned the salami sticks were also being sold at Wegmans stores. Wegmans did not issue a recall.
Also on October 27, Food Poisoning Bulletin reported that the Citterio salami sticks were part of the company’s September Facebook giveaway. Winners of this promotion received salami sticks linked to the multistate outbreak.
On October 29, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) issued a public health alert for Citterio “Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks.” The agency said that it did not request a recall from the product manufacturer because a specific lot or lots of potentially contaminated salami sticks have not been identified and the products were no longer being sold at Trader Joe’s or Wegmans.
Citterio Salami Stick Recall
On November 10, 2021, Euro Foods of Freeland, PA issued a salami stick recall after California health officials found Salmonella in two unopened, intact, packages of the salami sticks. Whole genome sequencing tests revealed that the products were contaminated with Salmonella Derby, a strain not closely related to the strain cultured from patients, Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- The CDC did not identify any Salmonella Derby illnesses associated with the salami sticks.
The salami stick recall included 119,091 pounds of the product produced prior to October 25, 2021. They were sold nationwide and in Bermuda. The recalled salami sticks have the following product information:
- 2-oz. packages of Citterio “Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks ALL NATURAL”
- “best by” dates through January 23, 2022, located next to the barcode.
- “EST. 4010” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
They were sold nationwide at Trader Joe’s stores, at Wegmans stores in NJ, NY, MA, PA, VA, and at other stores including:
- Cantoro Italian Market and Vince and Joe’s Fruit Markets in Michigan
- M&M Wines in New Jersey
- Olindo Cash & Carry in New York
- Alesci’s of Shoregate, Chuppa’s Marketplace, Corbo’s Bakery Placehouse Square, DeVitis Fine Italian Foods, Di Stefano’s, Fligner’s Food Market, Fragapane Bakeries, Gentiles Imported Italian Foods, Jimmy’s Italian Food Specialties, Pepper’s Farm Market, Produce Palace, Sweetberry Fresh Farm Market, and Vermilion Market in Ohio
- Lin’s Hurricane, Macey’s, Dan’s Market, Fresh Market stores in Utah
- Jubilee Foods and Crystal Falls in Wisconsin
Salami Stick Salmonella Outbreak
Health ofiiclas conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations to identify Citterio Italian-style Salame Sticks as the source of this outbreak. They interviewed 27 patients, all but one of them reported eating salami sticks before they became ill and 25 of the 27 patients interviewed specifically named Citterio brand Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks.
Using whole genome sequencing health offcials identified the genetic fingerprint of the Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- strain that sickened these patients. The cultures from all of the patients had matching fingerprints.
The patients range in age from 1 to 75 years old, but most of them, 79 percent, are under the age of 18. The median age of outbreak patients is 8 years old.
The number of cases reported from each state is: California (13), Illinois (6), Kansas (2), Maryland (1), Michigan (3), Minnesota (3), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Pennsylvania (1) and Virginia (2).
Salmonella Symptoms
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea that is sometimes bloody. Usually, these symptoms appear within six to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. The people sickened in this outbreak reported the onset of illness on dates ranging from September 18, 2021, to October 30, 2021.
If you contracted a Salmonella infection from contaminated food and would like a free consultation with an experienced Salmonella lawyer, please contact us. The Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team has represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.