Murry’s Inc. is recalling approximately 31,689 pounds of gluten free breaded chicken products that may be contaminated with Staphylococcal enterotoxi. They were produced at the Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA-headquartered company’s highly plant in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The frozen items, which have a “best by” date of August 9, 2015, are 12-oz. retail boxes of Bell & Evans brand Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets, and 10.5-oz. packs of Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast. They bear the establishment number “P-516” inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were shipped to retail locations nationwide.
The problem was discovered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (FSIS) during a retail surveillance and sampling program funded by the USDA at a Federal Emergency Response Network lab. After being notified of the positive test result, FSIS conducted trace back activities.
Staphylococcal food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people and animals. They can produce seven different toxins that are frequently responsible for food poisoning.
Staphylococcal enterotoxins are fast acting, sometimes causing illness in as little as 30 minutes. Symptoms, which usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food, range from nausea and vomiting to stomach cramps and diarrhea. The illness is generally mild and most persons stricken recover within one to three days.
No reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the Bell & Evans chicken products have been received thus far.
