On October 7, 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert for raw chicken packaged at three Foster Farms facilities in California as an estimated 278 people had fallen ill in the past six months. Strains of multiple antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with chicken distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington state. The outbreak spread to 18 states, though most of the reported illnesses were in California. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service did not mandate a recall of chicken from those facilities, lacking the authority to do so. It deemed the company's poultry safe to eat as long as it is cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA agreed to let affected poultry plants remain open after the company agreed to fix problems.