The AP/Ventura County Star has reported that CDC has for the very first time, successfully utilized the data from supermarket shopper cards to trace the source of a national salmonella outbreak to a Rhode Island salami manufacturer and two companies in New York and New Jersey that manufacture seasoning used on the meat.

After interviewing people infected with the salmonella, CDC officials grabbed the suspicion that an Italian meat product might be the source, however, were uncertain what brand was behind the outbreak.

With shoppers' permission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used purchases by people who got sick in a recent Salmonella outbreak to track the source of infected food to salami prepared in Rhode Island.

This made them to point the blame on the pepper that was used in the salami.

CDC is reported not to have disclosed the number of customers from whom it grabbed the information or how many consented.

However, CDC revealed that the information referred was used from customers who agreed and that most customers who were asked consented.