Butterball Faces Backlash Amid Resurfacing Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Calls for Thanksgiving Turkey Boycott

 Butterball Faces Backlash Amid Resurfacing Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Calls for Thanksgiving Turkey Boycott

Butterball, one of the most recognizable turkey brands in the U.S., is recalling approximately 39 tons of ground turkey products over concerns of salmonella contamination. The recall, which involves around 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey, was announced late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The products were distributed nationwide to major grocery chains, including Kroger and Food Lion, and were supplied to various institutions across the country.

The contamination is linked to a strain of salmonella known as salmonella schwarzengrund. The recalled products were packaged in the summer of 2018, with a use-or-sell-by date of July 26, 2018. However, the USDA noted that it is highly unlikely any of the recalled product is still available for purchase in stores, as it was packaged almost nine months ago. Nevertheless, some consumers may have the affected products stored in their freezers, as turkey can be safely frozen for up to three years, though quality may decline after several months.

Butterball has urged consumers to check their freezers for any of the affected products, advising them to either discard the items or return them to the place of purchase. The USDA and Butterball have provided detailed lists of the recalled product batches and images for consumer reference.

Salmonella is a group of bacteria with over 2,500 strains, and the salmonella schwarzengrund strain in question can cause symptoms such as abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours of consumption. While the illness typically lasts between four to seven days, it can be more severe for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, infants, and those with weakened immune systems.

The contamination was uncovered after health officials investigated a multistate outbreak of salmonella schwarzengrund that led to five confirmed illnesses in two states. Health officials in Wisconsin discovered three Butterball brand ground turkey samples at a residential home where four people had fallen ill, while the fifth case occurred in Minnesota. Most of the illnesses took place during the December-January period, according to a Butterball spokesperson.

The affected products were produced at Butterball's Mt. Olive, North Carolina facility, the largest turkey processing plant in the world, which processes 17 million turkeys annually. This recall only pertains to a single day’s production from this facility.

In addition to the Butterball recall, another strain of salmonella in raw turkey products has been linked to a larger outbreak, resulting in one death and 279 illnesses across 41 states and the District of Columbia. This outbreak has led to several previous recalls, including Jennie-O's recall of 164,000 pounds of turkey products in December.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to issue a detailed alert later today regarding the salmonella outbreak connected to the Butterball recall. While investigations indicate that the current salmonella schwarzengrund outbreak is not related to a prior salmonella reading outbreak, the CDC continues to monitor the situation closely.