SPARKS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert due to concerns that illness caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with raw chicken products produced by Foster Farms at three facilities in California.
Although the products were mainly distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington, Nevada has eight reported cases of illness, according to the USDA.
"This issue has had a limited impact on our state compared to others because product distribution was minimal," said Dr. Michael Greenlee, state veterinarian for the Nevada Department of Agriculture. "However, the public should be reminded that the most effective way to prevent illness from all chicken products is to handle them properly and to follow package directions when cooking to ensure the poultry reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F."
This public health alert was issued by the USDA after an estimated 278 illnesses were recently reported in 18 states, predominantly in California. The investigations indicate that consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken and other brand chicken produced at Foster Farms plants are the likely source of the salmonella outbreak.
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