Chicken, Dry Cereals, and Tomatoes Contaminated with Salmonella are Recalled

June 2008

From your freezer to your pantry, the dangers of salmonella can be found anywhere in your kitchen. Salmonella contamination concerns have initiated a recall of Serenade Foods frozen, stuffed raw chicken breasts; Malt-O-Meal puffed rice and puffed wheat cereal products; and fresh Roma and large, red round tomatoes.

At least two salmonella cases have been attributed to the chicken. The chicken products include “Cordon Bleu” and “Buffalo style” breasts that were sold under the brand names, Milford Valley Farms, Dutch Farms, and Kirkwood. Recalled products have the date code, C8021, and were sold in stores in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Unsweetened puffed rice and puffed wheat cereals were recalled by the Malt-O-Meal company after salmonella was found in those products. The Food and Drug Administration reported that at least 23 people in 14 states suffered foodborne illness from the same strain of bacteria found in the products.

The H-E-B grocery chain issued a recall of contaminated tomatoes after an outbreak of the Saintpaul strain of salmonella. More than 20 cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported in Texas, and additional instances of illness were reported in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, and Utah. More than a dozen people have been hospitalized as a result of consuming the tainted produce.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include headache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. To prevent food poisoning, safety measures should always be taken to ensure that harmful bacteria are destroyed when preparing food. Follow package instructions and heat poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F to get rid of the foodborne bacteria. Tomatoes should be cooked to 145 degrees for at least 15 seconds to kill salmonella.