Sponsored By

Sliced deli meats may be behind multistate Listeria outbreak

CDC, public officials are still trying to find the culprit

Bill Wilson, Senior editor at Supermarket News

July 22, 2024

1 Min Read
IMG_5447.jpg
As of July 19, 28 people from 12 states have been infected and hospitalized, and two have died.Bill Wilson

The Centers for Disease Control, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are currently in the process of collecting different types of data to identify the food source of a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

As of July 19, 28 people from 12 states have been infected and hospitalized, and two have died. Many of them said they became ill after eating meats sliced at deli counters.

Samples were collected from May 29 to July 5 and state and local public health officials have interviewed those infected. Of the 18 that were able to be interviewed, 16 (89%) reported eating meats sliced at a deli. Turkey, liverwurst, and ham were the most common meats ingested.

The states where there are reported cases are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. At least seven or eight infections have been reported in New York.

The CDC conducted an analysis comparing foods reported by people in this outbreak vs. foods reported by people who got sick with Listeria but were not part of the outbreak. The analysis showed that people in this outbreak were more likely to eat deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst.

The CDC, however, said it does not have enough information to declare deli-sliced meats as the reason for the outbreak.  

About the Author

Bill Wilson

Senior editor at Supermarket News

Bill Wilson is the senior editor at Supermarket News, covering all things grocery and retail. He has been a journalist in the B2B industry for 25 years. He has received two Robert F. Boger awards for his work as a journalist in the infrastructure industry and has over 25 editorial awards total in his career. He graduated cum laude from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a major in broadcast communications.

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like