You may remember that a few months ago, millions of stuffed chicken breasts from two different companies were recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert urging consumers not to eat chicken products made after the period included in the recall. The agency’s testing found more of the same strain of Salmonella bacteria in samples from the facility, but Koch Poultry has refused to recall the products made during this period, from July 30 to September 17.
The USDA is advising consumers to not eat the chicken breasts if found in their freezer, and to throw the items away or return them to the store where they were purchased. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some patients who became ill from salmonella reported using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the stuffed chicken breasts before eating, so following the cooking instructions to the letter may not be enough to prevent illness.
There are numerous brands and products that this recall includes, since Aspen Foods manufactures stuffed chicken breasts for multiple store and other private-label brands, including the foodservice mega-supplier Sysco. They may be chicken cordon bleu, chicken Kiev, or chicken stuffed with broccoli.
Here are the brands you might find the products under, but the best thing to check is the USDA establishment number on the package. For affected products, it would be P-1358.
Acclaim Antioch Farms Buckley Farms Centrella Signature Chestnut Farms Family Favorites Kirkwood Koch Foods Market Day Oven Cravers Rose Rosebud Farm Roundy’s Safeway Kitchens Schwan’s Shaner’s Spartan SyscoThe symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea (which can be severe), abdominal cramps, and a fever. The illness lasts for 4 to 7 days, but it can be more severe in people who are very young, very old, or who are already sick or immunocompromised. People are hospitalized and can die from this infection.
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist