Charcuterie Sampler Recall Expands to Products Sold at Costco as Salmonella Cases Increase

If you've purchased charcuterie products at either Sam's Club or Costco this month, you may want to toss them to be safe. On January 5, the Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a food safety alert for 11,000 pounds of Busseto Food charcuterie samplers sold at Sam's Club due to salmonella concerns.

On January 18, Fratelli Beretta, the company that manufactures and distributes Busseto Food brands, issued an additional recall for Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta sampler trays sold at Costco. The sampler trays have been taken off shelves at both warehouse stores, and any lot codes can be potentially contaminated. The recalled products include prosciutto, sweet soppressata, and dry coppa in the Busseto sampler, and black pepper-coated dry salami, Italian dry salami, dry coppa, and prosciutto in the Antipasto Gran Beretta sampler. The state of Minnesota originally identified the outbreak strain from an unopened sample of Busseto charcuterie sample that tested positive for salmonella.

As of this week, 47 people in 22 states have become sick from eating the contaminated products. At least 10 of those people have become severely ill and required hospitalization. Eating food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, a common bacterial foodborne illness. Symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within six hours to six days after eating the contaminated product.

Both the FSIS and the CDC are urging shoppers to throw away and not consume these products. You can also consider returning them to the place of purchase.