Salmonella Prompts Nevada Firm To Recall Chicken Products

Foster Farms – the producer of 1 out of every 10 chickens consumed by Americans – issued a recall of several chicken products after it was linked to a case of Salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA).

In totality, 170 different chicken products have been recalled which includes chicken tenders, thighs and drumsticks, mostly sold under the Foster Farms label but some also include other labels by FoodMaxx, Kroger, Sunland and others. The affected chicken products carry the following information:

“Use or Freeze by” dates from March 21 to March 29

Establishment number “P6137,” P6137A” or “P7632” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The affected products were distributed in several states including Nevada, Oregon and Washington. They were shipped to many retail stores which include Costco and Safeway among others. A complete list of recalled items can be viewed on the FSIS Website.

An estimated 600 people or more in the past 16 months have become sickened in connection with the antibiotic-resistant strain of the disease which led to pressure from safety advocates to take action against the company. The agency first learned of the contamination on June 23 and the recall was issued thereafter.

Poultry contamination is complex because the law allows raw chicken to have a certain amount of salmonella – which consumer advocates have been fighting to change – because salmonella is so prevalent in poultry and killed when cooked properly, the government has not declared it to be an adulterant, or illegal meat, such as that of E. coli.

Though the outbreak has slowed in recent months, new cases of Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses were still being reported through May of this year.