The USDA announced plans this week to make it illegal to sell chicken Kiev and other stuffed, breaded, raw chicken products that are contaminated with Salmonella. Declaring Salmonella an "adulterant" in this subset of the vast array of poultry products available to American consumers is a small step forward in the agency's stated goal of remaking its strategy for controlling Salmonella in poultry. But it made big news. Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), who is perhaps the greatest champion of food safety in Congress, released a statement calling the announcement a "vital first step to improved protections for the public from foodborne illness." The Centers for Science in the Public Interest, which along with other consumer groups, petitioned the USDA … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak Triggers Recall of Meijer, Sysco, Omaha Steaks, Loblaws No Name Chicken Entrees
One of two ongoing Salmonella outbreaks linked to raw, frozen chicken entrees has triggered a recall of 1.7 million pounds of products sold under the brand names Meijer, Sysco, Omaha Steaks, Loblaws No Name, Barber and Western Family. The recalled products include chicken Kiev, chicken Swiss, chicken ham and cheese, chicken asparagus and cheese, chicken Cordon Bleu, chicken Cordon Swiss, chicken in butter, chicken broccoli and swiss, chicken creme brie, chicken garlic butter, chicken parmesan, chicken fingers and Italian chicken tenders. Consumers who have purchased these products should not eat them as Salmonella can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections. Already seven people in three states; Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, have been sickened by these products which are … [Read more...]
Minnesota Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Chicken Kiev, Chicken Cordon Bleu
A Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota has been linked to raw, frozen, pre-browned, breaded chicken products including Chicken Kiev and Chicken Cordon Bleu. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert about the products, but has not released brand names or stores where the products may have been sold. Health officials are investigating two Salmonella illness clusters linked to the items may be labeled "chicken cordon bleu" or "chicken Kiev." The illness onset dates range from May 9, 2015 to June 8, 2015. FSIS is working with Minnesota agriculture and health officials on an investigation of the outbreak. Information on how many people have been sickened or hospitalized has not been released. It does not appear that a … [Read more...]
