Fratelli Beretta Antipasto Trays Are the Source of Salmonella Outbreak: CDC

FRIDAY, Aug. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Fratelli Beretta brand antipasto trays have been identified as the source of a salmonella outbreak that's sickened at least 36 people in 17 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

No deaths have been reported.

Investigators found that most of the ill people ate Fratelli Beretta brand uncured antipasto trays before they got sick, and the CDC advises people to throw out the trays, which can include uncured salami, prosciutto, coppa or soppressata.

They were sold nationwide and have "best by" dates on or before Feb. 11, 2022.

Throw the products away, even if some of them were eaten and no one got sick, the CDC said in a food safety alert. Use hot soapy water or a dishwasher to wash items, containers and surfaces that may have touched the products.

Italian-style meats sliced at a deli are not included in this alert. But if you don't know the brand of prepackaged Italian-style meats you have at home, throw them away, the CDC advised.

The agency added the investigation is continuing, to try to determine if additional products are linked to the outbreak.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, you should call that state's health department, the CDC said.

Most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramping anywhere from six hours to six days after eating contaminated food.The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment, the CDC said.

In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body. Children younger than 5, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness, the CDC said..

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on salmonella.