Officials announced on Wednesday the recall of more than 20,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because of a bacterial contamination.
The gluten-free chicken nuggets manufactured by Murry's, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company, was shown to be positive for Staphylococcal enterotoxin, which can cause gastrointestinal sickness after ingestion, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated.
The recalled batch was 12-ounce boxes of "Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets" that carried a "Best By" date of March 25, 2016, with a "P-516" establishment number found inside the USDA mark of inspection.
According to the USDA news release, the nuggets were found tainted with the bacteria after routine monitoring and sampling was performed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
The notice was forwarded to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which then carried out the traceback investigation.
Staphylococcus aureus is a common resident of the skin and noses of healthy individuals. This bacterium can generate different types of toxins that usually cause food poisoning.
Food poisoning from Staphylococcus aureus arise from eating contaminated food and can cause gastrointestinal problems.
The bacteria produce symptoms quickly in just 30 minutes after ingestion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Staph bacteria are resistant to heat and that cooking food thoroughly is not enough to prevent illness.
Symptoms of Staph poisoning include abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. The sickness is usually mild, as stated by the agency, and most people recover after a few days.
The USDA advises to keep kitchen and food preparation areas clean all the time to prevent bacterial contamination.
Proper hand washing techniques should be observed before any food preparation. It was also advised not to handle or prepare food if there are open cuts or wounds on hands.
So far, the USDA has not reported any illness related to the chicken nuggets recall.
The press release also mentioned that any consumer concerns or queries should be directed to Murry's customer hotline at (800) 638-0215
(800) 638-0215 FREE.
