Aspen Foods of Illinois is finally expanding their July 15, 2015 recall of frozen, raw, stuffed, breaded chicken products that are linked to a Salmonella outbreak. They were sold under the brand names
Acclaim, Antioch Farms, Buckley Farms, Centrella Signature, Chestnut Farms, Family Favorites, Home Dining Selections, Kirkwood, Koch Foods, Market Day, Oven Cravers, Rose, Rosebud Farm, Roundy’s, Safeway Kitchens, Schwan’s, Shaner’s, Spartan, and Sysco.
In September, after Koch Poultry, which owns Aspen Foods, refused to issue another recall because there were more illnesses linked to these products, the USDA ordered the product seized by inspectors. Inspections found that the facility was not controlling the Salmonella contamination and FSIS sampling revealed positive results that matched the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis.
This recall now includes all products associated with contaminated source material. They were shipped to retail stores and food service locations nationwide.
A Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in Minnesota was discovered on June 23, 2015. Three case-patients in this outbreak were identified at that time. Since then, two more patients have been identified by the Minnesota Department of Health. Using the multiplier for Salmonella outbreaks of 30.3, since those illnesses are so underreported, that means at least 150 people are sick in Minnesota in this outbreak.
You can see the huge list of recalled products of not-ready-to-eat frozen breaded stuffed chicken breasts that appear to be ready-to-eat at the USDA web site. There is another list of recalled variety packs that contain the not-ready-to-eat Cordon Bleu type of frozen chicken that is being recalled. Scroll down on this page to get to PDF links that show you pictures of recalled products.
Some of the people involved in this outbreak have told investigators they cooked the product as directed on the package, using a food thermometer to make sure the chicken was cooked to a safe final internal temperature. They still got sick. That means that either there was cross-contamination in the kitchen (the breading on this product falls off easily), or the products are so contaminated they still made people sick after cooking.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be watery and/or bloody. These symptoms usually appear 6 hours to 3 days after exposure to the bacteria.
Most people get better on their own, but some become so sick they need to be hospitalized. If you have eaten any of these products, or have them in your home, and have experienced these symptoms, see your doctor. Salmonella is a reportable illness, and your doctor will tell public health officials about it.
It’s also important that you are seen by a doctor because the long term consequences of a Salmonella infection can be serious. Reiter’s Syndrome, which can cause reactive arthritis and eye problems, is one complication. Other health problems include heart disease, high blood pressure, immunological problems, and irritable bowel syndrome.
