Danish authorities say imported beef is the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 50 people.
Since March, 51 people in Denmark have been infected with the same type of Salmonella, according to the Statens Serum Institute (SSI).
The Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak affected 31 men and 20 women. Patients' ages range from less than 1 year to 83 years, with a median age of 37 years. Patients live all over the country. 18 people were hospitalized, but there were no deaths.
According to interviews with patients, 35 out of 37 reported eating ground meat before the onset of symptoms. A tracking link to Hilton Foods was created through examination of consumer purchase data for eight patients.
An investigation by SSI, the Danish Veterinary and Food Authority (Fødevarestyrelsen) and the DTU Food Research Institute found that the meat was imported from the UK and ground at Hilton Foods' Danish base.
Related recalls
Hilton Foods Denmark has recalled a variety of ground beef produced between March 12 and May 6. The product's expiration date is from March 11th to May 13th. These are Dagri Burgsen, Super Burgsen, 365 Discount, Co-op, and Irma and Kvickly stores nationwide.
Minced meat, including meat produced in the UK, produced between March 19 and 23 has been recalled as a possible source of salmonella infection.
Beef produced on May 4th and 5th, including British meat, was also recalled after the company's own tests detected salmonella.
Ground beef produced using UK-sourced ingredients on other dates between March 12 and May 6 will also be recalled as the product contains ingredients from the same supplier.
Although some meat is past its use-by date and no longer on store shelves, it may still be in consumers' freezers. Other potentially affected products were also on store shelves until recently, and authorities advised consumers to throw away the meat or return it to the place of purchase.
A Hilton Foods spokesperson said the company operates in accordance with “the highest standards of health, safety and hygiene.”
“These are the standards we expect and require from all of our food suppliers and are verified through our supplier management and audit program.
“Hilton Foods Denmark A/S recently identified an issue related to minced beef packaged in Denmark. All supplies have been suspended. This supplier is undergoing a thorough investigation and all supplies will be suspended while the investigation continues.”
Whole-genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients revealed that the samples were closely related and all belonged to sequence type 19.
In 2022, Denmark recorded 899 salmonella infections, an increase from 2021 and 2020, but a decrease from 2019. Salmonella caused 11 outbreaks in 2022, three of which were part of international incidents.
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