Stock up on poultry, eggs and cheese

Because of this:

An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to trace the source of the outbreak, which began in September. The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved.

The CDC said poultry, cheese and eggs are the most common source of this particular strain, known as Salmonella typhimurium.

Dear poultry, eggs and cheese producers:  Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Or maybe not.  Perhaps chastened by the wanton damage it needlessly inflicted on tomato growers (and tomato consumers) last year, the CDC appears to be taking a more conservative approach this time:

“Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Persons also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed,” [the CDC spokesman] said.

In other words, “You don’t need to take special precautions.”