Major Producer in 2 Milion Pound Chicken Recall
Over the weekend, National Steak and Poultry announced that it had issued a chicken recall for more than 2 million pounds of ready-to-eat products because they may have been undercooked. According to the recall announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), though there have been no reports of illness yet, there is a possibility of the undercooked chicken leading to salmonella or campylobacter if it is consumed, as these pathogens are commonly associated with uncooked poultry products.
The recall includes a wide variety of National Steak and Poultry products, including chicken strips, chicken cubes and fully cooked chicken breasts and other pieces. Here is a complete list of ready-to-eat chicken products subject to recall. For the most part, the recalled products have the same establishment number, “P-6010T,” printed on the USDA mark of inspection. In all, the recall affects a total of 1,993,528 pounds of chicken, which explains why the list is so long. Most of the chicken is sold to foodservice vendors, so many consumers may be affected when they eat the chicken at a restaurant or convenience store.
National Steak and Poultry initiated the recall after a consumer contacted the company to complain that the pre-cooked chicken they had purchased seemed to be undercooked. The USDA classified this as a “Class I Recall,” which means they believe there is a “reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
Consumption of undercooked poultry can be very dangerous and lead to a number of foodborne illnesses. A salmonella infection which is also called salmonellosis, can be very dangerous. It is also one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the country, leading to more than 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths annually. While otherwise healthy people contaminated with salmonella suffer some abdominal discomfort and diarrhea for a few days to a week, many others can see much more serious symptoms, Including fever, headache, serious dehydration and more. In the most serious cases, the infection can move into the bloodstream, resulting in illnesses as serious as typhoid fever. It can also lead to kidney disease and it can even affect the brain. Pregnant women should be exceptionally wary, since contracting salmonellosis during pregnancy often leads to complications and it can create birth defects in newborn babies.
Any consumer who has become ill after consuming any of these National Steak and Poultry products should see a doctor immediately for treatment. They should also report the illness to the USDA. Anyone who has any of these products in their homes should dispose of them or return them to the store for a full refund. If you or a loved one have eaten these or any other food product and become ill with any sort of food-borne illness, please contact the highly skilled Food Poisoning Injury Lawyer atthe Hill Law Firm as soon as possible, so that we can investigate and help you protect your rights. We have the experience and knowledge to deal with even the largest food producers and make sure they are held responsible for any negligence we find.