Deli dangers traced to meat slicers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - For years health officials blamed listeria or salmonella outbreaks on deli meat itself. But inspectors are now learning that the actual cause may have nothing to do with the meat, and may have more to do with dirty deli slicers.

The Target 12 Investigators got exclusive access to a recent inspection by the Rhode Island Department of Health. What we found - flies feeding on deli slicers in the middle of winter.

"If there are flies in the middle of the winter, they're not breeding outside... there's something inside that's bringing them in," said Ernie Julian, Director of Food Protection RI Dept. of Health.

• See food inspection reports
• See deli slicer information from the RI Department of Health

And that could very well be the rotting meat that could be seen dripping in clumps off a dirty deli slicer at a local market. Rhode Island health officials are swabbing, testing, and taking apart deli slicers all over the state.

"The goal is to identify to what extent deli slicers are causing illness," Julian said.

The Target 12 Investigators were invited to go along as Rhode Island is leading a nationwide study on whether dirty slicers or badly designed slicers are making people sick. Target 12 was asked not to identify the markets or delis, since this wasn't an actual health inspection. Instead, it was an investigation into the slicers themselves. This national study was prompted by two salmonella outbreaks that were traced to poorly designed deli slicers in Washington and Georgia.

• More info on Salmonella from the CDC
• More info on Listeria from the CDC

"When they pulled off the cover from the blade, there's a little piece of plastic inside," Julian said.

Under that plastic, investigators found salmonella feeding on spoiled meat. And there's more.

Ernie Julian: "You take off the handles and all of a sudden you find this heavy contamination inside."

Susan Hogan: "So this meat debris can trickle down onto the sliced meat that you're getting to take home to your family? And that's a concern.

Ernie Julian: "Yes it is."

So far, state health inspectors have tested slicers from 14 delis and markets. The results were alarming.

"They're required to take it apart and clean it every 4 hours, and we're finding that's not happening... Not only is that not happening, but some of the equipment, it's not possible to properly clean and sanitize," Julian said.

Health officials have already identified three brands of slicers that they say have design flaws that prevent proper cleaning. They've reported their results to the manufacturers, the Centers for Disease Control , and the Food and Drug Adminstration.

Susan Hogan: "They look clean from the outside, they're stainless steel, they're shiny and they look ok. But it's what's underneath that is causing some issues. So how are we going to know that?"

Ernie Julian: "You're not going to."

During the slicer inspections, the Health Department took immediate action on those markets in which deli slicers posed a health hazard to customers, and ordered them to clean up the slicers before using them again.

So now you’re probably wondering ‘Is deli food safe for me to eat?’ Well the answer according to the Health Department is that for healthy people, the risk is relatively low.

However, if you’re pregnant or your immune system is compromised, this bacteria can be deadly and cause miscarriages. That’s why the C.D.C. is recommending pregnant women should only eat deli meat that is thoroughly cooked.