How This Plant Compares
High-risk salmonella
was found
more often
on the whole chicken at this
Palmetto Pigeon Plant plant
than
at other poultry plants.
How Likely Am I To Get Sick?
Your likelihood of getting sick depends on many factors, including: how the poultry is cooked and handled; your immune system; and the quantity and types of salmonella present. “High-risk” salmonella strains are more likely to cause illness than “low-risk” types. According to the CDC, if you avoid cross-contamination and cook the poultry to 165°F, the meat should be safe to eat even if it had high-risk salmonella. Learn more about safe handling and cooking techniques from the CDC.
Did This Plant Meet The USDA Standard For Whole Chicken?
This plant
failed the USDA standard for whole chicken
because salmonella was found in more than
9.8%
of samples.
In total,
37.5%
of the whole chicken samples had salmonella of any type.
Plants that fail this standard are required to undergo additional USDA testing and may face additional scrutiny. But the USDA does not have the authority to shut down facilities even when their salmonella rates repeatedly exceed the agency’s thresholds.
Routine Testing Results
The USDA tested 24 whole chicken samples from this plant over the past year.
About a third
of the
samples had a strain of salmonella resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat infections.
The plant processed
an estimated 10,000 to 100,000 pounds of meat and poultry
in total each month.
High-risk salmonella, not antibiotic-resistant: 1
Low-risk salmonella, not antibiotic-resistant: 1
No salmonella found: 15
High-risk, antibiotic-resistant: 7
Low-risk, antibiotic-resistant: 0
No whole chicken tested: 341
High-risk salmonella, not antibiotic-resistant: 1
Low-risk salmonella, not antibiotic-resistant: 1
High-risk, antibiotic-resistant: 7
Low-risk, antibiotic-resistant: 0
No salmonella found: 15
No whole chicken tested: 341
Multiple samples were taken on days marked with an *
Types of Salmonella Found
There are more than 2,500 types of salmonella, but fewer than 100 account for most human infections. Below are the types of salmonella found in this plant’s whole chicken. The USDA does not measure the quantity of salmonella in each poultry sample, only whether or not salmonella is present.
The reported number of cases below are from the 10 states that participate in the CDC’s surveillance program and include cases linked to consumption of all foods, including poultry. These numbers are known undercounts— the CDC estimates that almost 30 cases of salmonella illness go unreported for every case that is confirmed by a lab.
Infantis
is a
high-risk type of salmonella that was found in
seven
of the plant’s
whole chicken samples.
From 2011 to 2020, Infantis caused at least
1,852 salmonella infections in the U.S. Of those,
479 (26%)
people were hospitalized and
five
(0.3%) people died.
Typhimurium
is a
high-risk type of salmonella that was found in
one
of the plant’s
whole chicken samples.
From 2011 to 2020, Typhimurium caused at least
7,785 salmonella infections in the U.S. Of those,
2,360 (30%)
people were hospitalized and
52
(0.7%) people died.
Kentucky
is a
low-risk type of salmonella that was found in
one
of the plant’s
whole chicken samples.
From 2011 to 2020, Kentucky caused at least
119 salmonella infections in the U.S. Of those,
23 (19%)
people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.