A public health alert has been issued after strains of Salmonella Heidelberg were found in raw chicken packaged at three Foster Farms facilities in California. The outbreak started in March with the USDA being notified in July. The USDA, meanwhile, has not directly linked the outbreak of illnesses to a specific product or production period. Foster Farms says no recall was in effect, and that infections were caused by people eating chicken that was undercooked or handled improperly. State Health officials are not planning a recall, but instead remind people that all poultry products be cooked to an internal temperature of 165-degrees, and to thoroughly wash their hands after handling the raw meat. The outbreak has sickened over 200 people in the past six months.
