Civil Liberties, Health Care, Food Policies

CDC Successfully Uses Supermarket Loyalty Cards in Salmonella Tracking

March 11, 2010

iHeathBeat.org - For the first time, CDC has successfully used data from supermarket shopper cards to track the source of a national salmonella outbreak to a Rhode Island salami manufacturer and two companies in New York and New Jersey that make a seasoning used on the meat, the AP/Ventura County Star reports.

After conducting interviews with people infected with the salmonella, CDC officials suspected that an Italian meat product might be the source but were uncertain what brand was responsible.

Researchers with CDC then asked supermarkets for information from seven victims in Washington about suspect products they had purchased.

CDC did not disclose how many customers from whom it sought information or how many consented. However, CDC noted that it only used information from customers who agreed and that most customers who were asked consented.

Still, some consumer advocates fear that the practice could switch from a voluntary to a mandatory system (Mercer, AP/Ventura County Star, 3/10).