The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has joined public health officials in two other states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate a foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis associated with pre-packaged stuffed chicken products. The OSDH is informing consumers of the products that have been recalled due to this outbreak, and urges persons who purchase raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrees, regardless of brand, to always use sound food hygiene procedures to prevent foodborne illness.

As of July 16, 10 cases in three states, including Minnesota (8), Wisconsin (1), and Oklahoma (1), have been linked to two multistate Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks. Several brands of frozen, raw chicken products have been recalled, including Barber Foods, Meijer, Sysco, and Omaha Steaks. These products were packaged in smaller quantities for home use and in larger quantities for institutional purchase.

Specific Recommendations regarding this Recall:

  • Oklahomans should check their freezers for the recalled frozen, stuffed chicken entrees (chicken Kiev, chicken cordon bleu, and chicken with broccoli and cheese). The recalled products, regardless of brand, will have one of the following two numbers on the packaging: “P-276” or “P-4230A.”
  • These products should not be prepared or eaten.

General Recommendations regarding these products:

  • Consumers who purchase raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrees, regardless of brand, should always handle them safely to prevent foodborne illness.
  • Read the package carefully. Look for words like “Raw” or “Uncooked” to determine if the product is raw. The product may not look raw. It may appear to be pre-cooked because it may be breaded and browned.
  • Follow cooking instructions exactly as they are written on the package.
  • Use a food thermometer to check that the product has reached an internal temperature of 165° F, checking at the center, the thickest part, and the surface of the product.
  • Clean and disinfect any surfaces and utensils that touched the raw product, including the product packaging or any breading that falls off.
  • Wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling the raw product.
  • Keep raw poultry away from other food that will not be cooked before eating.

Symptoms of salmonellosis include: diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, headache, muscle aches, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Blood is sometimes seen in the stool. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, but may last up to two weeks. In rare cases, Salmonella bacteria may enter the bloodstream. People with compromised immune systems, infants less than one year old, and the elderly are more likely to experience severe or prolonged illness.

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