20,000 Pounds of Chicken Nuggets Recalled Over Staph Contamination Fears

365999_1280x720

If you love gluten-free chicken nuggets then be careful of which brand you’re buying.  Turns out that more than 20,000 pounds of gluten-free chicken nuggets are being recalled after testing positive for Staphylococcus bacteria, which can cause food poisoning.  Murry’s Inc, a Pennsylvania-based company will be recalling 12 ounce boxes of Bell and Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets that contain a “best by” date of March 25, 2016.   The brand is sold in much of the Northeast as well as many other states in the U.S. Consumers have been told to return the product to their place of purchase immediately.  Thankfully no illnesses have been reported.

During a routine retail surveillance and sampling program, the Colorado Department of Agriculture discovered the problem upon which they notified the proper authorities.   Once notified of the positive test result, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service conducted what are known as traceback activities.  “Staph” or Staphylococcal food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness which is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus.  It can cause a number of issues which we’ve listed below.

According to the USDA:

Staphylococcal enterotoxins are fast acting, sometimes causing illness in as little as 30 minutes. Thoroughly cooking product does not prevent illness, and symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. Patients typically experience several of the following: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. The illness is usually mild and most patients recover after one to three days.

To prevent Staphylococcal contamination, keep kitchens and food-serving areas clean and sanitized. Keep hot foods hot (over 140 °F) and cold foods cold (40 °F or under). Make sure to wash hands and under fingernails vigorously with soap and water before handling and preparing food. Do not prepare food if you have an open sore or wound on your hands or if you have a nose or eye infection.

“Food safety is a core value for Murry’s. We value the trust our customers place in the products we produce for them,” Murry’s, Inc. President Ira Mendelson said in a statement. “We will conduct a full internal investigation in response to Colorado’s findings and take every action possible to prevent this problem from happening again.”

What else was Ira supposed to say exactly?  I for one can tell you that me and my kids will not be purchasing Bell and Evans anytime in the future.  We’ve never tried them before and won’t be starting now.  Hope all your kids are OK!

Comments

Leave a Reply

Loading…

0