Public health alert issued for Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc., raw chicken products
A potential link between raw chicken products and illnesses reported in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic US has been identified by the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). USDA FSIS and Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc., have issued a public health alert out of concern that the chicken products may be contaminated with salmonella.
Empire Kosher produced and sold the potentially contaminated raw whole chicken and raw chicken parts between September 2017 and June 2018. FSIS, when investigating multiple food poisoning cases with public health officials, found a link between the salmonella cases and consumption of Empire Kosher brand chicken products.
Approximately half of those consumers who became ill were hospitalized as a result of the food poisoning. Their illness onset dates rated from September 2017 to June 2018, in conjunction with the dates that Empire Kosher distributed its raw chicken products.
FSIS, in issuing the alert, is concerned that these raw chicken products may still be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers. Consumers who purchased Empire Kosher chicken products should not eat them but should dispose of them properly. After handling the potentially contaminated chicken, consumers should then wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness.
If you have purchased or consumed Empire Kosher raw chicken products and want to learn more about your legal options, please contact the food poisoning lawyers at 1-888-335-4901.
