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Outbreak Summary

The CDC has announced a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses linked to “raw frozen breaded stuffed chicken products.” At least 17 people have been sickened so far, with 8 people sick enough to have been hospitalized. The known illnesses have occurred in six states: Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin. It is likely that many more have been or will become sick in this outbreak.

On August 9th, the USDA announced a recall of a variety of stuffed frozen chicken products manufactured by Serenade Foods and sold under different brand names. The recall was initiated after unopened intact packages of raw, frozen, breaded chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese were collected from an ill person’s home and tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis. More information on the recall is below.

The vast majority of the sick people who were interviewed by public health officials reported eating stuffed breaded chicken products before getting sick. Although they reported eating different brands of products purchased at different stores, whole-genome sequencing of the Salmonella bacteria shows that all the samples are closely linked genetically, which means it is likely that all the victims got sick from the same ultimate source. The Minnesota Department of Health found the outbreak strain of Salmonella in two samples of Kirkwood’s Chicken Cordon Bleu obtained from a grocery store where a sick person purchased those products. Kirkwood products are sold ALDI stores.

These kinds of products (e.g. Chicken Kiev or Chicken Cordon Bleu) are often sold in individually wrapped packages in the frozen aisle of the supermarket. They have a long history of causing widespread and serious outbreaks of Salmonellosis because it is often difficult to fully cook the raw chicken in the microwave, especially given the inconsistent and uneven heating that many microwaves produce.

OFT’s Salmonella lawyers are actively investigating this outbreak, and this page will update as we uncover more information. If you or a loved believe you were sickened in this outbreak, please call or contact us using the form on the page for a free consultation.

More Details

Salmonella Outbreak linked to Raw Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products from Serenade Foods

At least 17 people in 6 states have been sickened in an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to raw breaded stuffed chicken products such as Chicken Cordon Bleu. Illnesses linked to the products have been reported in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin:

Serenade Foods Recalls Frozen Raw Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products

On August 9th, over two months after the announcement of this outbreak, the USDA’s FSIS agency announced a recall of Serenade Foods frozen stuffed chicken products.

The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels]

  • 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “Dutch Farms Chicken with Broccoli & Cheese” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
  • 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “MILFORD VALLEY CHICKEN WTH BROCCOLI & CHEESE” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
  • 10-oz box of two individually plastic-wrapped packages of “MILFORD VALLEY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU” with lot code CB 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
  • 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “KIRKWOOD Raw Stuffed CHICKEN, BROCCOLI & CHEESE” with lot code BR 1055 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 24 2023.
  • 5-oz individually plastic-wrapped packages of “KIRKWOOD Raw Stuffed CHICKEN CORDON BLEU” with lot code CB 1056 and BEST IF USED BY FEB 25 2023.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P- 2375” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributors nationwide.

Notably, the recall announcement states that 28 people in 8 states have been sickened in this outbreak, though the CDC has not yet updated it outbreak information to reflect this.

Salmonella Enteritidis

There are more than 2,500 serotypes of Salmonella, but fewer than 100 cause infections in humans. The most common of these illness-causes strains is a serotype called Enteritidis, and it is responsible for the current outbreak. Salmonella poisoning can be so severe that it requires people to be hospitalized. Indeed, 8 of the 17 people sickened in this outbreak so far have been hospitalized.

Salmonella can even be fatal when the infection leaves the intestines and travels to the bloodstream or other parts of the body. It is also possible to experience long-term side effects, including joint pain known as reactive arthritis, which is also known as Reiter’s Syndrome. This can last for months or years and result in chronic arthritis, which is difficult to treat. Reactive arthritis can also lead to eye irritation and painful urination. In rare cases, some types of Salmonella cause typhoid fever, which can be fatal.

OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers Can Help

OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers was built to get the answers you need and the results you deserve. We have recovered millions for our clients and have forced the food industry to become safer for all of us.

Our Salmonella lawyers are renowned within the food safety industry, believe in the cases we take, and have the courtroom experience to get results. We handle food injury cases nationwide and are ready to put our knowledge, experience, and resources behind your case.

Contact us for more information

OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers is a national law firm that focuses on food safety and protection of those who have been infected. We have experience with all types of outbreaks, including Salmonella. We offer free consultations to anybody potentially impacted by a food poisoning outbreak, and will offer honest advice about whether it makes sense to file a Salmonella lawsuit.

 

Notable Recoveries

$10 million

Seven infants were sickened after consuming a contaminated food product marketed to infants

$6.5 million

Verdict on behalf of a little boy who contracted a severe Salmonella infection from chicken

$7.55 million

Verdict on behalf of a little girl who contracted E. coli at a petting zoo

$2.25 million

E. coli infections contracted from a major fast food chain

$45 million

An over-the-counter medication caused severe kidney damage to multiple users

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A pregnant woman contracted a Listeria infection from contaminated fruit and passed the infection to her child

$3 million

Multistate Cyclospora outbreaks

$275,000

A couple contracted Salmonella from a restaurant

$525,000

A pedestrian was struck by a left-turning car, fracturing her tibia

$700,000

A semi-truck rear-ended a motorcyclist causing a collapsed lung, rib fractures and road rash