Marie Callender Chicken and Rice Frozen Dinner Recall Issued for Salmonella

A Marie Callender frozen food recall has been issued following a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least eight people. 

The Marie Callender recall was announced last week by ConAgra Foods after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked a number of salmonella food poisoning illnesses to the the company’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals.

While the CDC was investigating 29 illnesses in 14 states, it reports that only eight of them remembered eating Marie Callender meals. All of the illnesses occurred in April and May. It is unclear whether the rest of the cases are connected and no contamination of an actual Marie Callender meal has been verified.

The frozen food recall affects about 800,000 “Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice” single serve frozen dinners, regardless of production date. All of the recalled meals have the establishment number P-45 inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recall does not affect any food sold at Marie Callender restaurants.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning. For most healthy adults, symptoms of food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.

ConAgra recommends that any consumers who have the recalled meals return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or discard them.