ConAgra Foods Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska stopped production of its Banquet turkey and chicken pot pies at a Missouri plant after linking over 165 cases of salmonella poisoning to the pies. While at least thirty people have ended up in the hospital as a result of eating the pies, ConAgra contends that the outbreak of salmonella is due to consumers undercooking the pies.
Although the company initially included only chicken and turkey pot pies in the recall, ConAgra announced Thursday that the beef pot pies should be included as well. Accordingly, all Banquet pot pies were cleared from grocery shelves. Consumers are advised to dispose of any Banquet pot pies in their freezer.
ConAgra and FDA officials also urged consumers not to eat other generic pot pies and to throw them away, given that the company is offering refunds. The affected store-brand pot pies are sold under the names of Food Lion, Albertson’s, Hill Country Fare, Great Value, Kirkwood, Kroger, Meijer and Western Family pot pies
Salmonella bacteria poisoning is a serious gastrointestinal disease that can have major effects on the digestive system. Normal side effects of salmonella bacteria poisoning include fever, diarrhea, cramps, and vomiting. In certain populations, namely the very young, the elderly, and the immunosuppressed, salmonella can result in death.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.
