The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports that several foodborne illness outbreaks in Minnesota that have been linked with certain types of frozen entrees have prompted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to alert consumers of the need to cook these products safely.
The frozen entrees in question contain boneless chicken that may be breaded, stuffed or filled. Because these products are often stuffed or filled with additional ingredients, they may take longer to reach a safe, internal cooking temperature of 165 degrees F than consumers might expect.

‘Chicken and other poultry should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit,” stated Dr. Howard Rodenberg, Director of the KDHE Division of Health and State Health Officer. ‘The amount of cooking time needed depends on the power of the microwave oven. Using a food thermometer is the only way of knowing that food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria.”
In some cases, consumers may not realize that the breading on these products has only been pre-browned (not pre-cooked) and that these entrees contain raw chicken. Consumers should carefully read packages to see if frozen foods are pre-cooked or not. Products labeled with phrases such as ‘Cook and Serve,” ‘Ready to Cook,” and ‘Oven Ready” are intended to convey to the consumer that the product is raw (not ‘ready-to-eat”) and must be fully cooked for safety. FSIS is taking steps to ensure that cooking instructions are effective, understandable and practical.