Audrey Dutton of the Boise Idaho Statesman reports that health inspectors who visited the Boise Co-op’s main location in the North End on July 24 found three critical violations. The violations, found in the deli and produce departments, came several weeks after a salmonella outbreak in which hundreds of reports were linked to the Boise Co-op deli.

• The inspector found meat items in the deli’s walk-in coolers that were out of date or undated.
• The inspector also found improper temperatures in the deli salad bar. Chopped chicken, caprese salad and pasta with chicken were being held at the wrong temperatures.
• The inspector found that employees were using Orange Force degreaser and a peroxide multi-surface cleaner to clean and sanitize cutting boards and sinks.
• Boise Co-op employees who tested positive for salmonella are still out of work, because they haven’t had two negative tests in a row.

As of July 1, 2015, approximately 290 cases of Salmonella are associated with this outbreak. Preliminary test results showed Salmonella growth in raw turkey, tomatoes and onion. However, additional laboratory tests are pending and the specific cause of the outbreak remains undetermined.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or other animals. There are many different kinds of Salmonella bacteria.

Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis are the most common in the United States.