West Liberty Foods, West Liberty, Iowa
P5533 • Large plant • Data from March 2021 to March 2022
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.
This plant met the USDA standard for whole turkey because salmonella was found in less than 7.1% of samples. In total, none of the whole turkey samples had salmonella of any type.
The USDA tested 58 whole turkey samples from this plant over the past year. The plant processed over 10 million pounds of meat and poultry in total each month.