Aspen Foods Recalls Nearly Two Million Pounds of Chicken

“That brings the USDA’s tally to 11, after taking into account the eight people who became recently became ill with salmonella in Minnesota and Wisconsin leading to a frozen chicken recall by Barber Foods”.

For the second time this week, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced a major recall of frozen, raw chicken products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. Photos of recalled product labels are available.

Two additional patients have been identified by the USDA since the original Barber recall, prompting the new announcement. An investigation revealed that the victims had eaten frozen chicken from Aspen Foods.

Consumers, retailers and restaurants are advised not to use any such products.

It was made by Aspen Foods and was sold under brand names like Kirkwood, Roundy’s and Sysco. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted the complete list of recalled products online. His sample was positive for SalmonellaEnteritidis, and genetic testing determined he had contracted the same genetic strain associated with an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to Barber Foods Chicken Kiev. Two of them are hospitalized. It seems that these products can be found in stores all over the United States.

Even though the products are stuffed and breaded appearing cooked, the federal agency confirms that they are raw.

The recalled products were produced between April 15 and July 10 of this year and shipped nationwide. So, if you have any of these products in your freezer, it’s probably safest to just throw them out.

Food safety questions can be directed to the USDA’s “Ask Karen” service at askkaren.gov or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12-72 hours after exposure to the organism. While most people tend to recover without any treatment, some people may experience severe diarrhoea needing hospitalization.

Salmonella infection is a life-threatening disease particularly for patients with weak immune system.

Unlike salmonella, which can be killed by cooking food to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, Staphylococcal enterotoxin does not die when cooked. They also advise against consuming raw eggs and raw or unpasturized milk.