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Salmonellosis Cases in Minnesota Linked to Milford Valley Farms Chicken Cordon Bleu

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Minnesota health and agriculture officials have reported two recent cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection (salmonellosis) in Minnesota linked to raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrees. The implicated product is Milford Valley Farms Chicken Cordon Bleu with a stamped code of C8021. This product is sold at many different grocery store chains.

This the fifth outbreak of salmonellosis in Minnesota linked to these types of products since 1998. The findings prompted the officials to urge consumers to make sure that all raw poultry products are handled carefully and cooked thoroughly, and to avoid cooking raw chicken products in the microwave because of the risk of undercooking. For those who have been sickened by these products, it is important for them to know that it is not their fault that they were sickened by the chicken. Food manufacturers are not supposed to sell food contaminated with Salmonella. They are liable for illnesses caused by their food even if the people sickened did not adequately cook the food.

Investigators from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) determined that two cases of Salmonella infection from February and March 2008 were due to the same strain of Salmonella Enteritidis. The illnesses occurred in a teenager and a young adult, both from greater Minnesota; both were hospitalized but have since recovered.

“Our DNA fingerprinting found that the two individuals were sickened by the same strain of Salmonella,” said Dr. Kirk Smith, supervisor of the Foodborne Disease Unit at MDH. “We purchased the same type of product eaten by the individuals, and the outbreak strain of Salmonella was found in three packages of this product.”

“The frozen chicken entrees in the outbreaks we’ve seen in Minnesota are breaded, pre-browned and individually wrapped, so it’s likely most ill consumers mistakenly assumed they have been precooked,” Kassenborg said. “Although the wrapper includes instructions to fully cook the product, some consumers might have overlooked that information and simply heated it in a microwave.”

These types of products previously were marketed as microwaveable, but outbreaks in Minnesota in previous years prompted policy changes by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, which regulates the manufacturers of this type of product. Because of the inherent variability of microwave cooking, using this method to prepare raw frozen product can frequently result in undercooking of the product. Brands of product most commonly available in Minnesota are no longer being marketed as microwaveable. State officials are concerned, however, that consumers of this product may still use microwave ovens for this product, out of habit.

It’s important to note that because Salmonella is not considered an adulterant in raw poultry, no recall is required according to federal guidelines.

Pritzker | Ruohonen is a national food poisoning litigation law firm with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We have recently settled a case involving a Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota.  To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Minnesota Salmonella attorney Fred Pritzker.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on March 28, 2008 (boomark / email).