Recalled Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken Still In Circulation

Oregon warns that Salmonella-contaminated entrées may still be in stores

Marie Callender Cheesy Chicken frozen entrées – recalled one week ago due to Salmonella contamination – are still being sold in some grocery stores in Oregon, according to Emilio DeBess of the Oregon Public Health Division. Oregon Department of Agriculture inspectors "... found the recalled product still available in a limited number of stores," DeBess said today.

The entrées have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Chester that has affected at least 30 people in 15 states between April 11th and May 29th. The youngest victim was less than one year old; the oldest was 88. Six people were hospitalized.

ConAgra, the manufacturer of the frozen entrées, has recalled all 13-ounce packages of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice and Marie Callender's White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce. The entrées were distributed to at least 41 national, state-wide and local retail grocery chains.

One week into the "public" phase of this outbreak, here is where things stand.

Profile of outbreak victims

The thirty individuals who are confirmed to have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Chester are scattered from coast to coast, across 15 of the 48 contiguous states:

• California: 4 confirmed cases
• Colorado: 2 confirmed cases
• Georgia: 6 confirmed cases
• Illinois: 1 confirmed case
• Kentucky: 1 confirmed case; patient was age 65 or older and was hospitalized
• Massachusetts: 2 confirmed cases
• Minnesota: 2 confirmed cases; 1 child and 1 adult; both female; one person hospitalized
• Missouri: 1 confirmed case
• North Carolina: 1 confirmed case
• Oklahoma: 1 confirmed case
• Oregon: 2 confirmed cases; one person hospitalized
• South Carolina: 2 confirmed cases
• Tennessee: 1 confirmed case
• Utah: 1 confirmed case
• Virginia: 3 confirmed cases; 1 child and 2 adults; 2 females and 1 male; 2 people hospitalized

The smoking gun

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture found Salmonella Chester in an intact package of Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice, collected from the home of a person who was infected with the outbreak strain. The Salmonella that was recovered from the chicken was a genetic match for the outbreak strain. The link between the outbreak and Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice is incontrovertible.

What next?

State health departments and CDC are continuing to watch for new cases of Salmonella Chester, and also are back-checking PulseNet records for any other cases that were reported before the outbreak was identified. CDC expects to update its investigation status report tomorrow (June 25th).

Salmonella Chester is reported infrequently in the United States. West Virginia, for example, has recorded just one case in the last 10 years; New Mexico and Wyoming haven't seen a Salmonella Chester since 2003. The relative rarity of this particular type of Salmonella will make it easier to spot any other cases that may be part of the Marie Callender outbreak.

In addition to watching for new illnesses, state labs are continuing to test packages of the recalled entrées in order to determine the extent of the contamination. Oregon Public Health officials are especially interested in examining packages of Cheesy Chicken & Rice with ‘best if used by’ dates from any time in August 2011. Any consumers who still have boxes containing those date codes are asked to contact the Oregon Foodborne Illness Prevention Program at 971-673-1111.

What's a consumer to do?

1. Check your freezer and discard or return all recalled packages of Marie Callender's frozen entrées.
2. Take a copy of current recall notices with you when shopping for groceries, especially when visiting a local or independent grocery store that might not be as watchful of recall notices.
3. Always handle frozen entrées – especially those that contain chicken – the same way you would treat raw foods. Cook frozen entrées according to package directions, and always use a meat thermometer. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF.
4. If you think that you have become ill as a result of having eaten a Marie Callender frozen meal, consult a doctor and inform your local or state health department.
5. Stay tuned to eFoodAlert for further updates.

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Marie Callender Frozen Dinners Sicken People In 15 States

Salmonella Chester found in package of Cheesy Chicken & Rice

CDC reports that, since April 11th, 30 people in 15 states have been infected with the identical strain of Salmonella Chester. Many of the victims reported having eaten a Marie Callender's frozen meal in the week before becoming ill.

The outbreak victims range in age from less than one year old to 88 years old. At least 6 people have been hospitalized.

Cases of salmonellosis that form part of this outbreak have been confirmed in California (4), Colorado (2), Georgia (6), Illinois (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (2), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), North Carolina (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (2), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (1), Utah (1), and Virginia (3).

Both of the Minnesota victims are female, one of them a child. One of the Minnesota victims was hospitalized, but has since been released. Oregon's two cases are both adult males from Clackamas County; one of them also was hospitalized.

I have been advised by Kentucky health authorities that their outbreak victim is in the "65 and older" age group, and was hospitalized. Virginia's three cases include one male and two females; one of the victims is a child; two Virginia victims were hospitalized.

Minnesota has recovered Salmonella Chester from a previously unopened package of Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice, retrieved from the home of one of the two Minnesota outbreak patients. That package was purchased at the same time as another package of the product that had been consumed prior to victim's having fallen ill. Tests are under way to determine whether the Salmonella found in the package is a genetic match for the outbreak strain recovered from patients.

Last night, ConAgra recalled "all Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals in commerce, regardless of production date." The recalled meals were distributed throughout the United States.

The outbreak investigation is on-going, and more cases will almost certainly be identified. CDC has posted the following Advice To Consumers:

• Salmonella is sometimes present in raw foods (e.g., chicken, produce, and spices) which can be used as ingredients in not-ready-to-eat frozen dinners.
• Consumers should follow the instructions on the package label of the frozen dinner. Conventional ovens are better at cooking foods thoroughly. Microwave ovens vary in strength and tend to cook foods unevenly.
• If you choose to cook the frozen dinner using a microwave, be sure to: cook the food for the time specified for your microwave’s wattage; let the food “stand” for the stated time, so cooking can continue; and use a food thermometer to make sure that it is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165º Fahrenheit.
• Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating a Marie Callender’s frozen dinner should consult their health care providers.
• Consumers who have Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice single-serve frozen entrées in their freezer should discard or return the entrées to their retailer for a refund.
• Consumers are urged to read and follow the preparation instructions on the label of all frozen entrees. If the package says “Do Not Microwave,” consumers should follow that instruction and use a conventional oven.
• Consumers should use a food thermometer to make sure the entrees reach at least 165º Fahrenheit.

While only one variety of Marie Callender's frozen dinner has been implicated so far, it would not surprise me if the scope of this recall is expanded to include other frozen dinners produced in the same ConAgra facility – whether under the Marie Callender brand name or under a different ConAgra brand.

Please be especially careful to follow CDC's recommendations and to use a food thermometer to check each frozen dinner portion before serving it.

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