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Background In September 1994, the Minnesota Department of Health detected an increase in the number of reports of Salmonella enteritidis infections. After a case–control study implicated a nationally distributed brand of ice cream (Schwan's) in the outbreak, the product was recalled and further epidemiologic and microbiologic investigations were conducted. Methods We defined an outbreak-associated case of S. enteritidis infection as one in which S. enteritidis was cultured from a person who became ill in September or October 1994. We established national surveillance and surveyed customers of the implicated manufacturer. The steps involved in the manufacture of ice cream associated with cases of S. enteritidis infection were compared with those of products not known to be associated with infection matched for the date of manufacture. Cultures for bacteria were obtained from ice cream samples, the ice cream plant, and tanker trailers that had transported the ice cream base (premix) to the plant. Results We...