Why did Cargill’s plant stop making ground turkey?

We temporarily suspended ground turkey production at our Springdale, Ark., facility after voluntary recalls of ground turkey in August and September. We continued to make other turkey products at the plant.

What changes have you made since the ground turkey recall?

We are implementing new quality and testing standards: Specifically: 

• We added more bacteria reduction steps throughout the production process, including before the turkey is ground.
• We enhanced our process control monitoring system to ensure that our food safety program is generating the best results.
• We’ve increased the number and frequency of tests for Salmonella.
• We’re using high pressure processing, another step that reduces Salmonella.
• Workers are being trained in the new procedures.  

What is high pressure processing?

High pressure processing is the process of placing a product into a chamber and then subjecting it to high amounts of pressure. It diminishes bacteria and is one additional step we are taking to ensure the quality of our products.

How can I be confident that the ground turkey Cargill makes is safe?

We have evaluated every step of our production process and have worked closely with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve it. The new safety measures we have implemented in Springdale are the most rigorous in the industry. Cargill food safety specialists and USDA inspectors are present for each and every shift at the plant.  

What is Cargill doing to prevent this in the future?

In our pursuit of the safest food possible, we are working with university, government and private researchers to accelerate the development of new technologies. Those include next-generation vaccines that prevent specific strains of Salmonella, faster and better tests that detect specific strains of Salmonella and “biosensors” developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Biosensors could potentially be used in turkey barns to detect Salmonella before it gets to a plant.

Why has it taken so long since the recall to put these measures in place?

We worked as quickly as possible to identify new steps we could take to improve our production process. The safety of the ground turkey made at this plant was our top priority, and we took the amount of time we felt was necessary to enhance our requirements for food safety.

Didn’t you lay off workers at that plant?  

About 130 employees were laid off Oct. 3, after production at the plant was halted. Since then, more than 70 people have been called back to work as jobs opened in other parts of the facility. We hope to bring back the rest before the end of the year.

When will Cargill ground turkey be available in stores again?

While our plant in Dayton, Virginia, has not stopped making ground turkey since the recall, we know our supply hasn’t met all of the demand. We hope our ground turkey will be back on all store shelves very soon.

What brands of ground turkey did Cargill recall? 

Brands included in the September recall were HEB, Honeysuckle White and Kroger ground turkey. In August, we recalled a different list of products, including Honeysuckle White, Shady Brook Farms,  Riverside, Aldi Fit & Active, Giant Eagle, HEB, Kroger and Safeway.

What happened to the turkey from the recall?

We asked consumers to take it back to the store for a full refund. All the turkey that was returned to us was destroyed.