More than 14 tons of Antioch Farms Chicken Kiev is being recalled by its Illinois manufacturer as part of a federal regulatory investigation of a Minnesota Salmonella outbreak linked to the frozen, ready-to-cook product. The Class I food recall was requested by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in conjunction with a well-documented cluster of six Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses in Minnesota. One of the food poisoning victims was hospitalized. The illness onset dates have ranged from August 17 through September 27 and the investigation is ongoing.
Chicago-based Aspen Foods Division of Koch Meats is recalling 28,980 pounds of single five-ounce plastic packets of Raw Stuffed Chicken Breast Breaded, Boneless Breast of Chicken with Rib Meat “A La Kiev”. The products subject to recall have “sell by” dates of October 1, 2015 and October 7, 2015. They also are marked with USDA establishment number “P-1358” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The chicken products were produced on July 2, 2014 and July 8, 2014. These products were shipped to retail stores and distribution centers in Minnesota, the FSIS said. The agency is putting together a list of retailers who carried the product, but it was not immediately available when the recall was announced.
FSIS said it was notified of Minnesota’s Salmonella outbreak investigation on October 9. Eight days later, the agency said it received evidence that linked the illnesses associated with the outbreak to a specific product or production lot. “Evidence that is required for a recall includes obtaining case-patient product that tests positive for the same particular strain of Salmonella that caused the illness, and packaging on product that clearly links the product to a specific facility and a specific production date, which were all met,” FSIS said in a press release.
Dr. Carlota Medus, epidemiologist for the Foodborne Diseases Unit at Minnesota Department of Health, told Food Poisoning Bulletin that the plant that produced this chicken was involved in a previous Salmonella outbreak. The “A La Kiev” product is raw and marked as such on the package. It is not intended for cooking in a microwave oven, a direction that also is noted on the packaging. Medus said this is the first outbreak associated with the product since labeling changes were made and that the illnesses are not necessarily attributable to under-cooking or user error.
