The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a recall for 60,000 pounds of Serenade Foods frozen chicken products on Monday, August 9th. According to the announcement, “FSIS has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health partners to investigate a multistate outbreak of 28 Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses in 8 states.”
The chicken products under scrutiny appear ready-to-eat but are actually raw and need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°. While the packaging states this and the cooking instructions are for the oven, some people may have been preparing the chicken in the microwave. Either way, the recall is now in effect for the following products, which were produced on February 24, 2021 and February 25, 2021:
- 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “Dutch Farms Chicken with Broccoli & Cheese” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
- 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “MILFORD VALLEY CHICKEN WTH BROCCOLI & CHEESE” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
- 10-oz box of two individually plastic-wrapped packages of “MILFORD VALLEY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU” with lot code CB 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
- 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “KIRKWOOD Raw Stuffed CHICKEN, BROCCOLI & CHEESE” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
- 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “KIRKWOOD Raw Stuffed CHICKEN CORDON BLEU” with lot code CB 1056 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 25 2023.
Note: The recalled products, which have the number “P-2375” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were sold at retailers nationwide. Anyone with any of these products in their freezer should throw them away immediately.
Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause a foodborne illness. Common symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12-72 hours after eating the contaminated product. While this typically lasts 4-7 days, and most people recover without treatment, others could potentially be hospitalized.
Anyone with questions about the recall can call the Serenade Foods Hotline at (866) 873-7589 or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.