The USDA has announced that the second Minnesota Salmonella outbreak has been linked to Aspen Foods raw, breaded, stuffed frozen chicken products. The first outbreak, which has sickened at least six people, has been linked to recalled Barber Foods frozen raw chicken products. This Salmonella outbreak has sickened three people in Minnesota. Two of those patients have been hospitalized.
Aspen Foods is recalling more than 1.9 million pounds of frozen chicken products that are sold under the brand names Roundy’s, Chestnut Farms, Market Day, Spartan, Acclaim, Family Favorites, Kirkwood, Safeway, Buckley Farms, Oven Cravers, Centrella Signature, Shaner’s, Schwan’s, Koch Foods, Antioch Farms, Rose, Sysco, and Rosebud Farm. The products include Chicken Kiev, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Buffalo Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, and others. They all have the establishment number “P-1358” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
FSIS was notified of a cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses in Minnesota on June 23, 2015. The patients became ill from May 9, 2015 through June 8, 2015.
The government is concerned that people have these items in their home freezers. The product may look cooked, but it is raw and should be handled as a contaminated product.
Some of the patients told public health officials that they did cook the product as the package directed, and checked the temperature with a food thermometer to make sure it was 165°F. This is troubling, since it indicates that cross-contamination occurred or that the product is highly contaminated.
If you ate any of these products and have been sick with the symptoms of a Salmonella infection, including diarrhea that may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever, see your doctor. Complications of a Salmonella infection can be severe, including dehydration and sepsis. In addition, long-term health risks include reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and heart problems.
