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Frozen meals responsible for 18-state Salmonella outbreak
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Consumers who did not follow the recommended cooking instructions for frozen meals is thought to have played a role in a 2010 18-state Salmonella Chester outbreak linked to contaminated chicken, according to the CDC.
The Salmonella outbreak sickened 44 people from May 24 to June 19, 2010. The patients ranged in age from younger than 1 to 88 years. A total of 16 people were hospitalized, but no deaths were reported, the CDC reported in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In a case-control study, consuming a brand A frozen meal was significantly associated with illness, with all 11 of the case patients reporting eating a frozen meal compared with just three of the 22 controls (mOR=24.3).
Eight of the 11 case patients (73%) reported eating brand A cheesy chicken and rice, followed by three (27%) who reported eating sweet and sour chicken. No other foods were associated with the outbreak.
Not letting the frozen meals prepared in the microwave stand for the recommended time stated in the cooking instructions is believed to be the cause.
“Many frozen foods are not ‘heat and serve’ items, but rather are ‘not ready to eat’ (NRTE) products that require full cooking before consumption because they might include ingredients that have not gone through a pathogen-kill step process,” according to the CDC.
Brand A cheesy chicken and rice was a NRTE product. The packaging included clearly marked cooking instructions and safe handling practices to “cook food thoroughly.”
“However, not all of the persons with Salmonella Chester infection who were interviewed reported allowing their meal to stand for the time recommended in the cooking instructions before eating,” the CDC wrote. “Microwave standing time is a part of the cooking process.”
In patient interviews, 21 of 25 patients (84%) reported cooking their frozen meal in a microwave and five used a conventional oven (20%). Among those who used the microwave, 22 reported letting their meal stand for the recommended time specified in the cooking instructions before eating (88%).
“Consumers should not only follow instructions for microwaving but should also allow the product to stand for the recommended time before consuming,” the study authors concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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