Minnesota state health and agriculture officials said today that seven recent cases of salmonellosis in Minnesota have been linked to raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrees. Investigators from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) determined that the illnesses occurred in two separate outbreaks, involving two different strains of Salmonella bacteria in products from two distinct, unrelated producers.
In the first outbreak, four illnesses occurring from April 5 through June 8 were linked to Barber Foods Chicken Kiev. This product has a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stamped code of P-276. This product is sold at many different retailers, including grocery store chains. The four cases in this outbreak ranged in age from 19 to 82 years, all from the metro area, and two were hospitalized.
In the second outbreak, three people got sick from May 9 to June 8 after eating Antioch Farms brand Cordon Bleu raw stuffed chicken breast with a U.S. Department of Agriculture stamped code of P-1358. This product is sold at many different grocery store chains. The three cases were all adults in their 30s and 40s from the metro area, and two were hospitalized.
No deaths have been linked to either outbreak. MDH and MDA are working with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on the investigation. The investigation is on-going.
With these two outbreaks, there have now been nine outbreaks of salmonellosis in Minnesota linked to these types of products since 1998.
In 2014 Minnesota Public health and agriculture investigators in identified 6 cases of Salmonella Enteriditis linked to consumption of Antioch Farms brand A La Kiev raw stuffed chicken breast. Illness onsets occurred in August and September 2014. The outbreak strain was isolated in packages purchased at grocery stores.
In addition, Plant 1358 Aspen Foods was linked to Salmonella Outbreaks in 2005 S. Heidelberg, 2005-6 S. Enteritidis and 2006-S. Typhimurium.