When tests came back positive, the International Marketplace’s meat department was issued a cease and desist, which halted the processing of meat until further information was gathered. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food also embargoed 37,000 pounds of product that was in process within the store. On March 31, the UDAF conducted additional testing and products tested positive for Salmonella.
Travis Waller is the division director of regulatory services, who regulates food from farm to the grocery store. Waller has worked with this case firsthand and comments, “We have not linked any illnesses with this positive test. However, we are still investigating to see what the source of the problem is,” said Waller.
The International Marketplace has increased sanitation and has been cleared to reopen the meat counter.
“The consumer needs to be made aware that they need to make sure that when they are cooking product, they are cooking it at the appropriate temperature to kill any pathogens," said Waller.