Dumpster Divers Are Distributing Tainted Turkeys

Police in Falmouth are warning residents that someone who stole spoiled turkeys from a dumpster behind Hannaford is redistributing them.

In a post on the department's Facebook page, police say the turkeys had been thrown into a dumpster behind Hannaford because they had thawed due to a mechanical failure. Someone went into the dumpster and removed the turkeys. Redistributing them, police say, is a very bad idea.

Turkey that has not been thawed correctly and cooked immediately carries the Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella poisoning can make a person violently ill, causing stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, possibly accompanied by a fever.

Police advise anyone who has acquired a bird in a non-conventional manner from someone they don't know to throw the turkey away and replace it.