Editing Cargill (section)

=== Food contamination ===
{{main|1971 Iraq poison grain disaster}}
In 1971, Cargill sold 63,000 tons of seed treated with a [[methylmercury]]-based [[fungicide]] that eventually caused a minimum of 650 deaths when it was eaten. The fumigated seed grain was provided by Cargill at the specific request of [[Saddam Hussein]]<ref name="diagnosis">{{cite book|author=Jane M. Hightower|title=Diagnosis: Mercury: Money, Politics, and Poison|publisher=Island Press|location=Washington, DC|year=2008|pages=141–151|isbn=978-1-59726-395-5|chapter=11|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgKSPTZ-KUAC }}</ref> and was never intended for direct human or animal consumption prior to planting.<ref name="bakir">{{cite journal|author=Bakir F|title=Methylmercury poisoning in Iraq|journal=Science|volume=181|issue=4096|pages=230–41|date=July 1973|pmid=4719063|doi= 10.1126/science.181.4096.230|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pdf_extract/181/4096/230|format=PDF|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Damluji SF|author3=Amin-Zaki L|display-authors=3|last4=Murtadha|first4=M|last5=Khalidi|first5=A|last6=Al-Rawi|first6=NY|last7=Tikriti|first7=S|last8=Dahahir|first8=HI|last9=Clarkson|first9=TW|bibcode=1973Sci...181..230B| access-date=June 11, 2010|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Cargill's grain—which was dyed red and labeled with warnings in Spanish and English as well as a [[skull and crossbones (poison)|skull and crossbones design]] following a previous incident of mercury-treated seed being sold as food in Iraqi markets in 1960—was distributed too late for much of the 1971 planting season, causing many farmers to sell their excess product in the public markets at very low prices; this attracted many poor Iraqis who either could not understand the warnings or disregarded them, causing thousands of cases of [[mercury poisoning]].<ref name="skerfving">{{cite journal|author=Skerfving SB, Copplestone JF|title=Poisoning caused by the consumption of organomercury-dressed seed in Iraq|journal=Bull. World Health Organ.|volume=54|issue=1|pages=101–112|year=1976|pmid=1087584|pmc=2366450}}</ref> The long latency period before developing symptoms and cattle's greater tolerance of mercury poisoning also contributed to the mistaken impression the surplus seed grain was safe to eat.<ref name="diagnosis" />

In October 2007, Cargill announced the recall of nearly 850,000 frozen beef patties produced at its packing plant in [[Butler, Waukesha County, Wisconsin|Butler, Wisconsin]] that were suspected of being contaminated with ''[[E. coli]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Recall_042_2007_Release/index.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013091244/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Recall_042_2007_Release/index.asp|url-status=dead|title=Wisconsin Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=October 13, 2010}}</ref> The beef was sold mainly at [[Walmart]] and [[Sam's Club]] stores.

In March 2009, the [[Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service]] (AQIS) temporarily suspended Cargill Australia's license to export meat to [[Japan]] and the US after ''E. coli'' was detected in Cargill's export containers from its [[Wagga Wagga, New South Wales|Wagga Wagga]] plant. In late April 2009, AQIS lifted Cargill Australia's suspension on its export license.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cargill exports beef - tracking system at abattoir|publisher=Meat International|url=http://www.meatinternational.com/news/slaughtering/australia-cargill-exports-beef-tracking-system-at-abattoir-id1329.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110714063659/http://www.meatinternational.com/news/slaughtering/australia-cargill-exports-beef-tracking-system-at-abattoir-id1329.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2011|date=April 28, 2009|access-date=April 29, 2009}}</ref>

In August 2011, the [[USDA]] and Cargill jointly announced the recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey produced at Cargill's [[Springdale, Arkansas]], plant due to [[salmonella]] fears. The meat recalled was produced from February 20 to August 2. The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] announced that the particular strain of salmonella found was resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. One death and 76 illnesses from 26 states were reported. Some 25 types of ground turkey produced under various brand names were affected, and all of the packages in question contained the code "Est. P-963."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_060_2011_Release/index.asp |title= Arkansas Firm Recalls Ground Turkey Products Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination|website=www.fsis.usda.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812135504/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_%26_Events/Recall_060_2011_Release/index.asp |archive-date=August 12, 2011}}</ref>

In September 2011, Cargill announced a second, immediate and voluntary Class One recall of 185,000 pounds of 85% lean, fresh-ground turkey products because of possible contamination from Salmonella Heidelberg.<ref name=norwalkdv>{{cite web|last=Curtis|first=Julie|title=Cargill Issues Another Ground Turkey Recall|date=September 14, 2011|url=http://norwalk.dailyvoice.com/wellness/cargill-issues-another-ground-turkey-recall|publisher=The Norwalk Daily Voice|access-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> The turkey was produced at the company's Springdale, Arkansas, facility on August 23, 24, 30 and 31.<ref name=norwalkdv />

In July 2012, the [[Vermont Department of Public Health]] said that 10 people in the state had become sick from ground beef being recalled by [[Cargill Beef]]. The 10 became sick between June 6 and 26. Three were hospitalized, and all recovered, according to health officials. [[Hannaford Supermarkets]] alerted consumers that Cargill Beef was voluntarily recalling 29,339 pounds of ground beef that might contain [[salmonella]]. The 85%-[[lean ground beef]] was produced at Cargill's plant in [[Wyalusing, Pennsylvania]], on May 25, 2012, and repackaged for sale to consumers by customers of the [[Kansas]]-based company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/23/12899463-contaminated-ground-beef-sickens-10-in-vermont|title=Contaminated ground beef sickens 10 in Vermont|author=Vitals|date=November 5, 2014|work=NBC News|access-date=November 5, 2014|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125024017/https://www.nbcnews.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>