09.11.2011
Salmonella Cluster Tied to Chicken Livers
Schreiber Processing Corporation, a Maspeth, N.Y. establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver products that are linked to a cluster of Salmonellosis illnesses in New Jersey and New York, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. FSIS is continuing to work with states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during this ongoing investigation.
The illnesses are linked to the consumption of broiled chicken livers which appear to be ready-to-eat, but are in fact partially cooked and need to be fully cooked before consumption. Illnesses are also linked to chopped liver made from this product at retail stores. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was isolated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Market from samples of broiled chicken livers from the establishment, and chopped chicken livers produced at retail from these livers. These products would have been repackaged and will not bear the original packaging information.
Since February this year, kosher broiled chicken livers have sickened at least 170 people in five states with Salmonella Heidelberg.
At least 17 people have been hospitalized - 12 in New York City, and 5 in upstate New York.
The outbreak strain PFGE pattern does not match another strain of Salmonella Heidelberg associated with ground turkey recalled earlier this year. It is not known at this time if this outbreak strain has any drug resistance, but any finding of drug resistance will be made public by FSIS once it becomes available (FSIS).