Serenade Foods has recalled approximately 75,600 pounds of frozen stuffed raw chicken entrees. Because of the product’s frozen state, the product label, and cooked appearance of the product, consumers may incorrectly assume that these products are cooked, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS said the stuffed entrees may have been contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis, a bacteria that causes human illness.
The recalled products must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. However, FSIS is concerned that consumers may not cook these products to a safe temperature.
"It is important for consumers to properly cook all meat and poultry products that are not fully pre-cooked during the manufacturing process," FSIS said. "Because the recalled products are stuffed with additional ingredients, they likely take longer to cook than chicken breasts that do not contain fillings to reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Failure to properly cook the recalled products to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F has led to a number of cases of salmonellosis in Minnesota.”
The problem was discovered by a Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture investigation into reported food-borne illnesses related to these products. The Minnesota Department of Health contacted FSIS after receiving positive S. enteritidis test results of the products. The frozen stuffed chicken entrees were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.