Sam’s Club Kiev Stuffed Chicken Recall Issued Due to Salmonella Contamination

Food safety regulators have issued a Public Health Alert after more than 58,000 pounds of frozen, raw, stuffed chicken products sold exclusively at Sam’s Club were recalled due to possible Salmonella Enteritidis contamination, which has already sickened several consumers.

The Sam’s Club recall was announced by the U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) on July 2, due to fears the frozen chicken may be contaminated with Salmonella.

To date, the agency has received at least four illness reports from consumers who say they ate one of the recalled Sam’s frozen chicken products.

On June 24, the FSIS was notified of a cluster of salmonella food poisoning cases reported in Minnesota, prompting the agency to begin working with the Minnesota State Departments of Health and Agriculture to determine the origin of the outbreak.

The agencies determined through epidemiological evidence and traceback investigations that four victims in Minnesota ate the Chicken Kiev Barber Foods frozen chicken products. Based on the investigation, the FSIS determined that there is potential for certain lots of frozen chicken products sold at Sam’s Club to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recall includes 58,320 pounds of 2 lb. 4 oz. cardboard boxes containing 6 individually wrapped pieces of “Barber Foods Premium Entrees Breaded Boneless Raw Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat Kiev” with by/sell date of April 28, 2016, May 20, 2016, and July 21, 2016. The products may also be identified by locating the following recalled lot code numbers; 0950292102, 0950512101, and 0951132202. The recalled products will bear the establishment number “P-276” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products were manufactured by Barber Foods of Portland, Maine on January 29, 2015, February 20, 2015, and April 23, 2015, and were shipped for sale exclusively to Sam’s Club retail stores in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The products are reportedly no longer on store shelves but are likely to still be in consumer’s freezers.

The FSIS first issued a Public Health Alert on July 1, indicating there may be a Salmonella contamination associated with raw, frozen, breaded, and pre-browned, stuffed chicken products labeled “chicken cordon bleu” or “chicken Kiev”. The agency is warning customers that these products may appear to be ready-to-eat but in fact need to be fully cooked before consumption. The agency is warning customers to fully cook any of the frozen chicken products to kill harmful bacteria and to follow safety precautions when preparing the items to avoid potentially cross contaminating surfaces.

Food handlers should always wash their hands with warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat or poultry and wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot soapy water. The agency recommends never using the same cutting board for different meats or poultry without first cleaning the surface area thoroughly beforehand, and to always use internal pressure thermometers to reach the required temperature levels to kill harmful bacteria.

For healthy individuals, salmonella symptoms typically include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain lasting between four and seven days. The illness can become worse due to the delay in treatment because the infection can only be diagnosed by testing stool samples and is usually treated with antibiotics.

Among individuals with a weakened immune system, such as the elderly, children or pregnant women, the illness can pose a much greater risk and may lead to death or still birth. In rare circumstances, the infection can even spread throughout the blood stream and cause arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

The FSIS is advising all customers to treat the frozen chicken products like raw chicken although they may appear to be pre-cooked. The products are labeled with cooking instructions identifying that the product is raw and should be cooked thoroughly to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

For further questions or information regarding the recalled products customers may contact Barber Foods at 844-564-5555. Additional food safety questions may be answered by visiting the USDA’s website AskKaren.gov or by calling the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.