Salmonella Treatment, Symptoms & Definition: Outbreak Prompts Recall of 1.7M lbs. of Chicken

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Barber Foods is recalling over 1.7 million pounds of chicken due to possible salmonella contamination. According to the official website of United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), the current recall is an extension of the July 2 order on Barber Foods.

Some products were added to the list of Barber Foods products that were initially subject for recall. Barber Foods have already recalled 58K pounds of frozen chicken products, which were produced on January 29, February 20 and April 23 this year.

The July 2 recall was issued after the USDA received reports about Barber Foods products causing a string of illnesses in people from Minnesota and Wisconsin, reports Yahoo Health.

Daily Mail adds that there have been six confirmed illnesses caused by the food products. After the first recall, two more illnesses were linked to the consumption of Barber Foods, resulting in the second recall.

According to the USDA FSIS site, the recall now applies to "all products associated with [the] contaminated source material."

The original product subject for recall was Barber Foods Premium Entrees Breaded-Boneless Raw Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rib Kiev. The use by/sell by date listed on the product was April 28, May 20, and July 21 of 2016, reports Yahoo.

For the expanded list of the recalled Barber Foods products, click here. The additional recalled products were made between Feb. 17 amd May 20 of this year, reports CNY Central.

In addition, the said products were labeled under Barber Foods, Meijer and Loblaw brand names, which were sold at Tops, Wegmans, Price Chopper and Walmart.

The form of salmonella that has infected Barber Food products is known as "salmonella enteritidis." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, enteritidis can cause fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea within 12 to 22 hours after consuming a contaminated product.

According Wide Open Country, the US Department of Agriculture warned the public in a statement: "Although the products subject to recall may appear to be cooked, these products are in fact uncooked and should be handled carefully to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen."

Benjamin Chapman, a food safety specialist, explains on Yahoo Health that salmonella found in frozen food products can be dangerous even if fully cooked.

Freezing products does not kill salmonella, but actually preserves it. Furthermore, after thawing the contaminated food, there is a high risk of cross-contamination, meaning anything that has had contact with the food will be contaminated as well.

The best way to protect against contamination altogether is to throw the contaminated food away.