USDA Threatens To Shutter Foster Farms Over Outbreak of Salmonella That Has Sickened People in 18 States

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture threatened to shut down three California poultry processing facilities linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 278 people across 18 states. Officials have linked the outbreak to raw chicken products produced by California-based Foster Farms, which operates a main plant in Livingston and two smaller facilities in Fresno. USDA said that Foster has until Thursday to tell the department how it will fix the problem. Earlier this week, CDC recalled about 30 staffers who were furloughed as a result of the federal government shutdown to help respond to the salmonella outbreak.

• "USDA Warns CA Poultry Producer Linked to Outbreak" (Clare Jalonick, AP/Sacramento Bee, 10/9).
• "CDC Calls Back Experts on Foodborne Illnesses" (Dennis, Washington Post, 10/8).
• "CDC Calls Back Staff to Handle Salmonella Outbreak" (Petrochko, "Gupta Guide," MedPage Today, 10/8).