Missouri Plant That Manufactures Chicken Pot Pies Voluntarily Stops Production After Possible Link to Salmonella
Posted by
Amy RothschildOctober 10, 2007 9:46 AMOn October 8, 2007, ConAgra Foods Inc.'s Missouri plant voluntarily stopped production of ts Banquet pot pies after health officials said the pies may be related to 139 cases of salmonella in 30 states. ConAgra officials have stated that its pot pies are safe if they are cooked properly but has advised consumers not to eat them until government and company investigations have been completed.
ConAgra Foods, Inc. is not issuing a recall at this time, but federal officials have asked that consumers refrain from eating the chicken and turkey pot pies until all investigations have been completed. It has been determined that part of the problem may be in the cooking process. When the pies are heated in the microwave, they are not uniformly cooked and heated
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.
In conjunction with ConAgra Foods Inc.'s decision to voluntarily stop production, the United States Department of Agriculture also issued a health alter on October 8, 2007, warning consumers about the link between the pot pies and salmonella cases. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking reports of the salmonella cases since Wednesday. A CDC spokeswoman said the largest numbers of salmonella cases had been reported in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Missouri.
Salmonella results in the sickness of about 40,000 individuals annually in the United States and results in the death of about 600. Most deaths result in individuals who have weakened immune systems such as the young and elderly. Symptons of salmonella include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting. In most incidents, salmonella poisoning is caused by undercooked eggs and chicken.
Consumers shouldn't throw away or eat the chicken or turkey pot pies until the Food Safety and Inspection Service can determine the source of the salmonella contamination and verify proper cooking instructions. Part of the problem may be the manner in which the pot pies are being cooked. Cooking pot pies in a microwave can be problematic because microwaves heat food unevenly and not all microwaves have the same strength. A good sign that the pot pie is done is when steam rises out of it. Proper cooking will kill any common pathogens routinely found in uncooked products that contain poultry.
Conagra Foods, Inc. is already working on improving the safety instructions for the cooking of the pot pies including how they should be cooked in different microwaves. Currently, the Banquet pot pie package advises consumers to cook the product for 4 minutes in a medium or high wattage microwave or for 6 minutes in a low wattage microwave. But the package doesn't say how to determine what defines a low, medium or high wattage microwave.
The United States Department of Agricutlutre said the Marshall, Missouri plant made Banquet and generic store brand pot pies. All of the pot pies made at the plant in question have "P-9" printed on the side of the box as part of a code above the use-by date. ConAgra is offering consumers refunds, but no recall of pot pies was being planned Tuesday. Purchasers who want a refund for their pot pies should send the side panels of the packages that contains the "P-9" location code to the following address: ConAgra Foods, Dept. BQPP, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103-0768. Consumers with questions can call the company toll free at (866) 484-8671.
Earlier this year, ConAgra had to recall all of its peanut butter because it was linked to a different salmonella outbreak.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.