Tainted Chicken Leads to Widespread Salmonella Outbreak at New York Jail
In what could be New York state’s second-largest salmonella outbreak in history, over 320 of 450 detainees at the Broome County jail were exposed to food contaminated by the bacteria between May 15 and May 25, 2026. According to the county’s health department, 140 of the exposed detainees reported symptoms to the jail’s medical staff. So far, there have not been any deaths linked to salmonella, but at least 10 detainees were hospitalized due to the outbreak.
While the health department initially believed the illnesses were due to the norovirus, an acute stomach illness, testing revealed salmonella as the culprit, an infection most commonly passed on through tainted food or water that can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, among other symptoms. As reported by The Press & Sun-Bulletin, a full kitchen inspection was conducted on May 26 and found no major violations with food preparation or the facilities. A more thorough review of surveillance footage and interviews with kitchen staff, however, found that there were six critical violations and the exposure was related to a recent chicken salad meal. No guards or staff became sick because they are served from a different menu.
The jail’s kitchen staff is made up of detainee employees as well as staff provided by food vendor Trinity Food Groups. Among the violations listed by the health department, the agency noted that “potentially hazardous food” was not properly refrigerated. The contaminated chicken was first left to thaw on the counter for more than three hours and, once it was placed in skillets for cooking, the internal temperature was never checked. Staff also handled the chicken with bare hands; while mixing the chicken into a salad, the cook’s hands were in the container “so deep that the worker’s arms were submerged up to his elbows,” the head of the county’s health department told The Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar, the official overseeing the jail, placed the blame solely on Trinity Food Groups, telling reporters that his office is considering “[going] in a different direction” and switching food vendors. The outbreak, however, prompted a class action lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of detainees by Binghamton attorney Ronald Benjamin. The complaint alleges that the mass salmonella poisoning resulted from negligence and a breach of duties from Akshar and Broome County. PLN will continue to follow this story and report on any future developments.
Sources: The Press & Sun-Bulletin, WBNG
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