1.7 Million Pounds Of Barber Foods Chicken Products Recalled For Possible Salmonella

One of many products from Barber Foods that may be contaminated with Salmonella. Many.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the government agency that has jurisdiction only over foods containing meat for some reason that we don’t understand, has recalled 1,707,494 pounds of frozen chicken products because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recall began with one specific line of chicken Kiev, but expanded to dozens of different products that had “contact with contaminated source material.” If you have any stuffed chicken breasts or chicken tenders in your freezer at all, you’ll want to check them against the list of recalled products provided to the USDA. The company also sells chicken in bulk to food-service establishments. Barber Foods makes similar products for private-label brands, notably including Meijer and Western Family, and Loblaws in Canada.

So far, authorities have identified eight people who have become ill and had their illnesses linked to Barber Foods products. The actual number of people infected is higher and ultimately impossible to know: there are generally more victims who didn’t show any symptoms at all, or who weren’t sick enough to see a doctor or be admitted to the hospital.

When people do have salmonellosis, they have diarrhea (which can be severe), abdominal cramps, and a fever. The illness lasts for 4 to 7 days, but it can be more severe in people who are very young, very old, or who are already sick or immunocompromised.

Barber Foods Recalls Stuffed Chicken Products Due To Possible Salmonella Enteritidis Contamination [USDA]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist