LOS ANGELES — More than 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey are being voluntarily recalled by food giant Cargill because of the possibility of salmonella contamination.
Health authorities say the poultry could be contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg, a strain that killed a California man and caused the illness of 79 others across the United States.
In one of the largest food recalls in the U.S., Cargill said the turkey was produced at the company’s Springdale, Ark., facility between Feb. 20 and Tuesday. Production at the plant has been suspended.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said an investigation “determined that there is a link between the Cargill ground turkey products and the illness outbreak.”
The recalled products have the number P-963 inside the USDA inspection mark.
Over the past six months, local and state health-department authorities in 26 states have reported dozens of cases of people falling ill after eating turkey. Colorado is not among the states reported to have the illness.
Salmonella Heidelberg is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics and is often difficult to treat.
Earlier this week, California health officials confirmed that one person in Sacramento County died, apparently in connection with eating contaminated meat. County health officials declined to provide details about the victim and the circumstances.
Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can be fatal to young children, older people and those with compromised immune systems.
More information about the recall can be found online at .
