Public Health Notice - Outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products

August 25, 2017 - Final update

This is the final update for this event as the outbreak appears to be over and the investigation is winding down.

 

Why you should take note?

The Public Health Agency of Canada has collaborated with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in five provinces with cases of human illness linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products. Given that there have not been any illnesses reported since June, the outbreak has been declared over and the outbreak investigation is winding down.

During the outbreak investigation, the CFIA issued a food recall warning for President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800g) with a best before date of 2018 MR 15. The product was distributed nationally. The product has been linked to this outbreak investigation and therefore the Public Health Agency of Canada advises Canadians not to consume the recalled product.

The risk to Canadians is low. Salmonella is commonly found in raw chicken and frozen raw breaded chicken products. This outbreak is a reminder that frozen raw breaded chicken products contain raw poultry and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. Follow cooking instructions carefully and verify the internal temperature after cooking, as recommended, before consuming these products. Frozen raw breaded chicken products must be cooked to a safe internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure they are safe to eat.

Investigation Summary

In total, there were 13 cases of Salmonella illness in five provinces: British Columbia (1), Alberta (5), Manitoba (1), Ontario (5) and New Brunswick (1). Two people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. Individuals became sick between April and June of this year. The majority of cases (69%) were male. The average age of cases was 21 years.

Based on the investigation findings, exposure to President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800 g) was identified as a source of the outbreak. Several individuals involved in the outbreak reported eating President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800g) before their illness occurred. A sample of President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800 g), with best before date 2018 MR 15, collected from a retail establishment tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis and had the same genetic fingerprint as the cases of human illness reported in this outbreak. The CFIA issued a food recall warning and is working with industry to ensure the product is removed from the retail market.

Who is most at risk?

Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection, but infants, children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are more fragile than healthy individuals.

Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days. It is possible for some people to be infected with the bacteria and not get sick or show any symptoms, but still be able to spread the infection to others.

What you should do to protect your health?

Although the outbreak appears to be over, you may still have the recalled frozen raw breaded chicken product in your home or place of business. If you do:

While frozen raw breaded chicken products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they contain raw chicken and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. Regardless of the brand, if you are preparing frozen raw breaded chicken products, such as nuggets, strips or burgers, the following precautions should be taken to protect your health:

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to Salmonella bacteria from an infected animal or contaminated product.

Symptoms include:

These symptoms usually last for four to seven days. In healthy people, salmonellosis often clears up without treatment. In some cases, severe illness and hospitalization may occur. People who are infected with Salmonella bacteria can be infectious from several days to several weeks. People who experience symptoms, or who have underlying medical conditions, should contact their health care providers if they suspect they have a Salmonella infection.

What is the Government of Canada doing?

The Government of Canada is committed to food safety. The Public Health Agency of Canada leads multi-jurisdictional human health investigations of outbreaks and is in regular contact with its federal and provincial partners to monitor and take collaborative steps to address outbreaks.

Health Canada provides food-related health risk assessments to determine whether the presence of a certain substance or microorganism poses a health risk to consumers.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts food safety investigations into the possible food source of an outbreak.

The Government of Canada will continue to update Canadians if new information related to this investigation becomes available.

Additional information

Media Contact

Public Health Agency of Canada
Media Relations
613-957-2983

Public Inquiries

Call toll-free: 1-866-225-0709
Email: info@hc-sc.gc.ca

July 13, 2017 - Update

This notice has been updated to include information on a food recall warning that is linked to this outbreak. Additionally, there have been five more cases of Salmonella Enteritidis reported in the outbreak investigation.

Why you should take note?

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in four provinces with cases of human illness linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products.

The CFIA has issued a food recall warning for President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800g) with a best before date of 2018 MR 15. The product has been distributed nationally. This product has been linked to this outbreak investigation and therefore the Public Health Agency of Canada advises Canadians not to consume the recalled product.

The risk to Canadians is low. Salmonella is commonly found in raw chicken and frozen raw breaded chicken products. This outbreak is a reminder that frozen raw breaded chicken products contain raw poultry and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. Follow cooking instructions carefully and verify the internal temperature after cooking, as recommended, before consuming these products. Frozen raw breaded chicken products must be cooked to a safe internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure they are safe to eat.

Investigation Summary

Currently, there are 12 cases of Salmonella illness in four provinces: British Columbia (1), Alberta (5), Ontario (5) and New Brunswick (1). Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals became sick between April and June of this year. The majority of cases (67%) are male. The average age of cases is 23 years.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800 g) has been identified as a source of the outbreak. Several individuals involved in the outbreak reported eating President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800g) before their illness occurred. A sample of President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets (800 g), with best before date 2018 MR 15, collected from a retail establishment tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis and had the same genetic fingerprint as the cases of human illness reported in this outbreak. The CFIA has issued a food recall warning and is working with industry to ensure the product is removed from the retail market.

The investigation is ongoing and it is possible that more products linked to the outbreak investigation may be identified. The public health notice will be updated on a regular basis as the investigation evolves.

Who is most at risk?

Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection, but infants, children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are more fragile than healthy individuals.

Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days. It is possible for some people to be infected with the bacteria and not get sick or show any symptoms, but still be able to spread the infection to others.

What you should do to protect your health?

Check to see you if you have the recalled frozen raw breaded chicken product in your home or place of business. If you do:

While frozen raw breaded chicken products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they contain raw chicken and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. Regardless of the brand, if you are preparing frozen raw breaded chicken products, such as nuggets, strips or burgers, the following precautions should be taken to protect your health:

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to Salmonella bacteria from an infected animal or contaminated product.

Symptoms include:

These symptoms usually last for four to seven days. In healthy people, salmonellosis often clears up without treatment. In some cases, severe illness and hospitalization may occur. People who are infected with Salmonella bacteria can be infectious from several days to several weeks. People who experience symptoms, or who have underlying medical conditions, should contact their health care providers if they suspect they have a Salmonella infection.

What is the Government of Canada doing?

The Government of Canada is committed to food safety. The Public Health Agency of Canada is leading the human health investigation of this outbreak and is in regular contact with its federal and provincial partners to monitor and take collaborative steps to address the outbreak.

Health Canada provides food-related health risk assessments to determine whether the presence of a certain substance or microorganism poses a health risk to consumers.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts food safety investigations into the possible food source of an outbreak.

The Government of Canada will continue to update Canadians as new information related to this investigation becomes available.

Additional information

Media Contact

Public Health Agency of Canada
Media Relations
(613) 957-2983

Public Inquiries

Call toll-free: 1-866-225-0709
Email: info@hc-sc.gc.ca

June 26, 2017 - Original Notice

Why you should take note?

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in four provinces with cases of human illness linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products.

Salmonella is commonly found in raw chicken and frozen raw breaded chicken products. The risk to Canadians is low and illnesses can be avoided if safe food handling, preparation and cooking practices are followed when preparing these types of food products.

This outbreak is a reminder that frozen raw breaded chicken products contain raw poultry and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. Follow cooking instructions carefully and verify the internal temperature after cooking, as recommended, before consuming these products. Frozen raw breaded chicken products must be cooked to a safe internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure they are safe to eat.

Investigation Summary

Currently, there are seven cases of Salmonella illness in four provinces: British Columbia (1), Alberta (4), Ontario (1) and New Brunswick (1). Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals became sick between April and May of this year. The majority of cases (71%) are male. The average age of cases is 26 years.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to frozen raw breaded chicken products has been identified as a source of illness. The outbreak investigation is active, and the public health notice will be updated on a regular basis as the investigation evolves.

Who is most at risk?

Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection, but infants, children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are more fragile than healthy individuals.

Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days. It is possible for some people to be infected with the bacteria and not get sick or show any symptoms, but still be able to spread the infection to others.

What you should do to protect your health?

While frozen raw breaded chicken products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they contain raw chicken and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. If you are preparing frozen raw breaded chicken products, such as nuggets, strips or burgers, the following precautions should be taken to protect your health:

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to Salmonella bacteria from an infected animal or contaminated product.

Symptoms include:

These symptoms usually last for four to seven days. In healthy people, salmonellosis often clears up without treatment. In some cases, severe illness and hospitalization may occur. People who are infected with Salmonella bacteria can be infectious from several days to several weeks. People who experience symptoms, or who have underlying medical conditions, should contact their health care providers if they suspect they have a Salmonella infection.

What is the Government of Canada doing?

The Government of Canada is committed to food safety. The Public Health Agency of Canada is leading the human health investigation of this outbreak and is in regular contact with its federal and provincial partners to monitor and take collaborative steps to address the outbreak.

Health Canada provides food-related health risk assessments to determine whether the presence of a certain substance or microorganism poses a health risk to consumers.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts food safety investigations into the possible food source of an outbreak.

The Government of Canada will continue to update Canadians as new information related to this investigation becomes available.

Additional information

Media Contact

Public Health Agency of Canada
Media Relations
(613) 957-2983

Public Inquiries

Call toll-free: 1-866-225-0709
Email: info@hc-sc.gc.ca

Page details

2018-01-26