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Check that “Foster Farms” chicken in your freezer

California-based Foster Farms is recalling an undetermined amount of chicken products that may be contaminated with a particular strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in a national news release.

 

Meanwhile, Foster Farms says its brand of chicken currently found in stores is not involved.

 

The recall was issued last Friday by both Foster Farms and FSIS, who say that they have requested Foster Farms to conduct the recall because the product is known to be associated with a specific illness.

 

In its news release last Friday, Foster Farms says it was initiating a voluntary Class I recall of chicken products produced in March with “use or freeze by” dates ranging from March 21, 2014 to March 29, 2014 and a very limited amount of frozen “Sunland” chicken products, due to the potential presence of Salmonella Heidelberg.

 

It says only products made in California within this specific March timeframe— and with plant codes of P-6137, P-6137A and P-7632— are involved. These products were distributed in  California, Hawaii, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Alaska.

 

Foster Farms says retail customers have been notified and consumers are advised to discard or return affected product to the place of purchase.

 

“Fresh Foster Farms branded chicken products in grocery stores today are not involved. Individually frozen bags of chicken sold at retail are not involved. Products were sold under the Foster Farms and private label brand names,” the company said.

 

“This recall is prompted by a single illness associated with a specific fresh chicken product, but in the fullest interest of food safety, Foster Farms has broadened the recall to encompass all products packaged at that time,” it says. “Foster Farms regrets any illness associated with its products.”

 

USDA says FSIS and Foster Farms want the public to be aware that the products being recalled  are most likely no longer available for purchase, but may be in consumers’ freezers.

 

FSIS says it was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a Salmonella Heidelberg illness on June 23, 2014, associated with the consumption of a boneless skinless chicken breast product.

 

Working in conjunction with CDC, FSIS determined that there is a link between boneless skinless chicken breast products from Foster Farms and this illness. Based on FSIS’ epidemiological and traceback investigations, one case-patient has been identified in California with an illness onset date of May 5, 2014.

 

“This illness is part of an ongoing outbreak being monitored and investigated by FSIS and CDC. Until this point, there had been no direct evidence that linked the illnesses associated with this outbreak to a specific product or production lot,” the FSIS news release said.

 

Local Department of Health official Papali’i Marion Fitisemanu said yesterday afternoon that they have not received any notice from the federal level on the recall but will make inquiries about it.

 

Completed list of recalled products and other information is on the Foster Farms website: http://fosterfarms.com/MarchRecallAnnouncement/

 

More information on any recalled products are on: www.fsis.usda.gov