Raw Beef Kibbeh:  Jouni Meats, Inc., a Sterling Heights, Michigan retail store, is recalling approximately 500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. These products were produced between Dec. 4, 2012, and Dec. 9, 2012, and distributed to a restaurant in Macomb County, Mich., and sold directly to consumers at Jouni Meats, Inc. These products were sold without a label.

This recall has been initiated because of concerns involving a cluster of Salmonella Typhimurium illnesses that may be associated with consumption of raw ground beef from a restaurant in Macomb County, Michigan. Working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arizona Department of Health Services, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FSIS determined that there is a link between the ground beef products from Jouni Meats, Inc. and this illness cluster. Based on epidemiologic and traceback investigations, 7 case-patients with the same outbreak strain have been identified in Arizona and Michigan with illness onset dates ranging from December 9, 2012, to December 13, 2012. The 7 case-patients consumed raw beef kibbeh on December 7, 2012, and December 8, 2012. It is not known at this time if this outbreak strain has any drug resistance; results are pending. FSIS is continuing to work with public health partners and CDC on this investigation. FSIS will continue to provide information as it becomes available.

Hog Head Cheese:  Hog head cheese products produced by EST. 2257 have been linked to a recent Salmonella Uganda cluster involving six case-patients from Louisiana. Working in conjunction with the Louisiana Office of Public Health, FSIS was able to link illnesses to the RTE pork products produced at this establishment based on epidemiologic and traceback investigations. Illness onset dates among the case-patients ranged from October 16, 2012 to November 10, 2012. Four case-patients confirmed eating the brand under recall. Leftover RTE product from consumers was not available for testing. However, retail samples of like product from different production dates underwent testing last week, and four of nine samples tested positive for Salmonella. It is not known at this time if these samples are positive for the outbreak strain, but any finding of such will be made public by FSIS once it becomes available. FSIS is continuing to work with public health partners on the investigation.

Stallings Head Cheese Co., Inc., a Houston, Texas establishment, is recalling 4,700 pounds of hog head cheese that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:  10-oz. packages of “Richard’s Hog Head Cheese” bearing establishment number “EST. 2257″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and sell by dates “Use by 2 1 2013″ or “Use by 3 20 2013″on each package.