December 21, 2000
		Cargill Turkey Spreads Listeria; Recall Issued Warren Stanley, Chairman and CEO of Cargill, announced a recall of 16.7 millions pounds of ready-to-eat turkey products distributed by his company because of a likely listeria contamination. “I am seeking the help of the media to reach products that still may be in consumers' homes,” Staley said at a news conference Dec. 15. “Cargill is a distributor of these products and we cannot reach all retail outlets ourselves. Our concern, however, does reach all the way to the individual consumer. We want to get the products out of the hands of consumers.” Thomas Skinner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that 28 cases of listeriosis had been reported in ten states since May, which includes four deaths and three miscarriages or stillbirths linked to the products under recall. All cases showed the same strain of listeria monocytogenes. The turkey products were produced between May 1 and December 11 and distributed to grocery stores, restaurants and institutions throughout the U.S., Iceland and Venezuela. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria causes serious illness to 800 to 900 U.S. citizens every year.