USDA Announces Salmonella Recall in Mechanically Separated Chicken

The USDA announced that the company Tyson mechanically separated chicken products that have been linked to a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak, via a press release.

According to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS), there is a link between the mechanically separated chicken products from Tyson Foods and the illness cluster that's found in the Tennessee correctional facility. The organization was first notified of a cluster of Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses in December 2013 in the area.

The USDA notes that seven patients have been identified at the facility with the illness, according to the Food Safety News, with illness onset dates that started in late November, early December.

Every year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million fall sick due to salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, and other contaminants.

Consumption of foods that may be contaminated due to Salmonella can include symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain within the first 12 to 72 hours after digesting the contaminated product. Though most recover without treatment, some may have diarrhea that is so severe, it requires hospitalization.

While it is impossible to eliminate bacteria completely, smart handing of food preparation can help prevent health issues. 

More than 33,000 pounds of forty-pound cases of "TYSON MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN" that contain four, 10-pound chubs have been recalled at this time. These products were produced on October 11, 2013.